tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32522406584711341642024-03-12T18:10:24.062-07:00Test Driving LifeSteve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.comBlogger583125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-11969672043127432502015-05-09T12:23:00.005-07:002015-05-09T12:23:49.053-07:00Trip back to Spring of 1967 - Courtesy of SiriusXM Channel 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-NSA1-FfXxhlwK_d-B2moaZ3UYSRVgjCKZzH1xT8RicESSYmEDLgE4rw-wwr2mugl5QdqKEkTqyNBRIquzjT8FS-rvB0ivw6BKK1hFrpZcHtiMA-RRTrXHG8awQNOI5fNlQY7YgYMm0/s1600/Steve+-+1st+Guitar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-NSA1-FfXxhlwK_d-B2moaZ3UYSRVgjCKZzH1xT8RicESSYmEDLgE4rw-wwr2mugl5QdqKEkTqyNBRIquzjT8FS-rvB0ivw6BKK1hFrpZcHtiMA-RRTrXHG8awQNOI5fNlQY7YgYMm0/s320/Steve+-+1st+Guitar.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
I often listen to Lou Simon's Satellite Survey on <a href="http://www.siriusxm.com/" target="_blank">SiriusXM</a> the weekend or the repeat Wednesday at 6 p.m. Lou recreates the top 40 from that week in a particular year. The best part is the bottom of the survey, where the songs live that, if they never rose into the top 10, rarely if ever get airplay.<br />
<br />
Today, though, is different. Lou is playing 50 songs from the SPRING of 1967 - not just a week. That happens to be my most intense listening period, right when I turned 14 and got my first guitar (in photo). All great stuff, from the San Francisco Sound to British Invasion, Motown, one-hit wonders, and much more.<br />
<br />
So, here I am in the future, 2015, with my Sony earbuds plugged into my laptop, listening to satellite radio streamed on the Internet, resuming my blogging.<br />
<br />
Something about hearing old favorites brings back a special mood. And Lou is pulling out some real classics. Playing <i>I Can't Seem to Make You Mine</i> by the Seeds. How long since you've heard THAT one?<br />
<br />
I actually play real music myself now, in my orchestra and Blues band - <a href="http://www.siriusxm.com/" target="_blank">Tablues</a> - which is a more fulfilling experience than just listening. But these classics evoke the feelings of adolescence, part of what made me who I am musically now. I guess the challenge is to enjoy this music and appreciate it while moving forward. I don't think I can feel the same about current music, but I have had some enjoyment from today's pop artists. These days, I listen to a lot of Jazz, which is my "adult" music. On an iPod, I can get the Beatles and Dave Brubeck in the same 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
For today, though, it's two hours of classics--from my favorite part of my favorite year. Yes, I have to listen through Engelbert Humperdinck and Andy Williams, too, but that was what was on the radio the spring of my Freshman year of high school. But so was Ding Dong the Witch is Dead by the Fifth Estate and I was Kaiser Bill's Batman by Whistlin' Jack Smith!<br />
<br />
And the fun continues. <br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-32657398420452569402014-07-19T00:16:00.003-07:002014-07-19T00:16:49.245-07:00Getting healthy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRruIz6veC0blfdxSCJe30Bmfkm7II5tjBe9zeybw0C1sRNXDwsAfdHI91-sL30NtKFgmVLuYyKJRs4Iv6wvIkxIcJPjcOk71nWy2DkrHBl9hTIc-0hT_Gygve4v1i96UW1i5q2T23ik/s1600/photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRruIz6veC0blfdxSCJe30Bmfkm7II5tjBe9zeybw0C1sRNXDwsAfdHI91-sL30NtKFgmVLuYyKJRs4Iv6wvIkxIcJPjcOk71nWy2DkrHBl9hTIc-0hT_Gygve4v1i96UW1i5q2T23ik/s1600/photo+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
When I started Test Driving Life in 2007, I just wanted a place where I could speak my mind. In 2011 I blogged daily as an experiment. By early 2014, I apparently had run out of gas, and so March 3 was the last post before this one.<br />
<br />
I'll tell you where I've been. I've been on a crusade to avoid using blood pressure medication! The method was to lose 25 pounds by quitting eating sugar, supplemented by walking 5 miles a day. Let's hear it for the fantastic <a href="http://fitbit.com/" target="_blank">Fitbit </a>for keeping me on track. You can see it below. I wear it all day long and it records my steps and extrapolates it to miles and "active minutes." The goal - 10,000 steps, 5 miles, 30 active minutes. I've found that I need 11,000 steps to get 5 miles. <br />
<br />
In December, 2013, I weighed 190 pounds, my blood pressure was 160/100. Last week, I weighed 165 pounds and my blood pressure was 134/80. AND -- even better -- my cholesterol has gone down from 221 to 161 in that same six month period. I am now in 32-waist pants (from 34), and they're getting loose. I feel great.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfR3G7yg_29A2ng_xO8gYTB0Vo53SbqrO6Q3KJtt7eBEfnwaU0MX9mEfyxh8w1Nqv2pmeVpgEVKKYT2rJJDYI8bYp3Y4s8m5ZyaF6F65V0GloDuRCGZde60fUTKmcDmgkVRzXwjALWuI/s1600/fitbit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfR3G7yg_29A2ng_xO8gYTB0Vo53SbqrO6Q3KJtt7eBEfnwaU0MX9mEfyxh8w1Nqv2pmeVpgEVKKYT2rJJDYI8bYp3Y4s8m5ZyaF6F65V0GloDuRCGZde60fUTKmcDmgkVRzXwjALWuI/s1600/fitbit3.jpg" height="320" width="173" /></a>This photo (I'm on the left in the white t-shirt and sun-protective hat) shows me at the top of Mission Peak, in Fremont, California, which I climbed with a group of hardy colleagues last month. It was the greatest day ever according to my Fitbit. I walked more than 10 miles (26,000 steps) that day. I made it without hurting myself, too! <br />
<br />
<br />
I'll try to come here more often, if I'm not out walking.<br /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-45583731478161327772014-03-03T23:03:00.002-08:002014-03-03T23:03:21.638-08:00Writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvvhOohqhcgaNkciURBR-ucsTcgQ4ifWNJvaB8Pl30GKk6tsBoLAe16jqYsFkfoUafqfEK28eelUxY548CQUefxvbDyScFqfGJZQVU9b_i4gioPUPpJzj4mdeQx3g1kgvIbfA3a0jmKM/s1600/Stipula_fountain_pen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvvhOohqhcgaNkciURBR-ucsTcgQ4ifWNJvaB8Pl30GKk6tsBoLAe16jqYsFkfoUafqfEK28eelUxY548CQUefxvbDyScFqfGJZQVU9b_i4gioPUPpJzj4mdeQx3g1kgvIbfA3a0jmKM/s1600/Stipula_fountain_pen.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
I guess I take writing for granted. But today, a colleague asked me about it. She is eager to start writing, but doesn't know where to begin. I said, "You can start a blog in 10 minutes," but also went on to talk with her about what she wanted to write, and why. <br />
<br />
What is writing, anyway? There is, of course, the physical act of stringing together words. We all learn this to get through school. I remember plenty of high school papers that I scratched out in longhand on the night before they were due after a cursory trip to the public library. Yes, this was before the Internet made research something you can do on your phone during dinner in a restaurant. <br />
<br />
Writing can be a letter, where you are reaching out to a friend or loved one, or a beloved friend, when you use the good stationery and the nice pen you got for a graduation gift. You think about what you want the person to feel when he or she reads your note. It can be a sentence added to the preprinted words of a Hallmark greeting card or 17 pages of thoughts and feelings. If it's in longhand, chances are you're not going to be doing much editing, so it has to be stream of consciousness.<br />
<br />
What about poetry? So few people actually write it and very few read it, but there are always a couple in the New Yorker. The most popular form of poetry these days is probably song lyrics, or perhaps advertising jingles. I've always thought that poems are for people who want to express something very specific and important who also want to struggle with the process to refine their writing into a polished gem. Some are more shiny and multifaceted than others, of course.<br />
<br />
I wrote in 6 x 9 inch steno pads when I was a teenager, and a lot of my nearly illegible scratches were outrage at haircuts or sometimes, attempts at verse. I produced a batch of perfectly good songs when I was 16 to 19 or so, and even recorded some on tape, so they live on. I still have the notebooks, too. And--I still carry a small wire-bound notebook to this day, just in case I feel inspiration.<br />
<br />
There's the writing we do for our jobs. If you're a technical writer, like me, you spend your day producing things that may not be of great significance to you personally, but they can be very interesting and complex. In this case, you want to be clear and helpful to your readers, but not convey any of your own personality. Folks aren't consulting online help to be entertained. <br />
<br />
What inspires you? My thing for the last 22 years has been a weekly automotive review column. It's an easy process. On Monday, the latest test car arrives. On the weekend, I write the first draft of a story on the car two weeks previous, polishing the draft the next week while yet another new model takes its place in my driveway. It's routine, made meaningful by the variations in the cars. But after more than 1,000 articles, it is not difficult.<br />
<br />
This blog is another example of writing. Although I started it in 2007, it wasn't until 2011 that I got serious, and wrote a blog a day for that entire year as an exercise. If you're reading this, you're in it--go look at the wonderful variety of subjects I covered in that fateful year. But things have tapered off, especially since I stopped running my car column in the blog (it's online plenty of other places).<br />
<br />
It feels good to write. If sending a letter is meant for my close people, then a blog post or its more common cousin, the Facebook post, is meant for anyone and everyone. When you place your ideas and feelings into a post, it's like a message in a bottle sent from a desert island. While not craving rescue, I'm longing for some kind of connection. And, what I post will live forever, or at least as long as the powers at Google feel like saving it on their server.<br />
<br />
You can get a blog from Google for free, and there are other places, too. So if you're hesitating to write, don't let the tool stop you. Just open a page and start typing. The bad first draft is a great pressure reliever. Get it down, then play with it. Cut things, move them around. Change adjectives. Say it more clearly. Use an interesting example. Thrown in similes and metaphors. I compare editing to trimming pots at the pottery studio. It's what makes it finished, and can be very meditative. Then, start another.<br />
<br />
Now, you're a writer.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-37171692660935277522014-02-08T14:33:00.000-08:002014-02-08T14:41:53.491-08:00The Beatles: My Musical Inspiration - 50 Years Later<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:200%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ho9kLJ1l1G2WaRJ-kTBXcrAaa1kCHxlgqL7AnCJTCcW-JSb5biaqzUdujeLmXbbn8EhRm_GFg0woWsm2xf55RWi8tt7HezLOiYNyOpbBLnDVT92ZtY9ZHmxEyjR2DNojL-hSnb6IoGM/s1600/Beatles_on_Ed_Sullivan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ho9kLJ1l1G2WaRJ-kTBXcrAaa1kCHxlgqL7AnCJTCcW-JSb5biaqzUdujeLmXbbn8EhRm_GFg0woWsm2xf55RWi8tt7HezLOiYNyOpbBLnDVT92ZtY9ZHmxEyjR2DNojL-hSnb6IoGM/s1600/Beatles_on_Ed_Sullivan.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This Sunday marks the 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the
Beatles’ <a href="http://www.edsullivan.com/artists/the-beatles/" target="_blank">appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show</a>. It’s widely accepted that this performance
changed the world of TV and music forever. Anyone old enough to remember it can
recall that great moment on a Sunday night in February when 73 million people
in the U.S. were introduced to the musical force called the Beatles. For me, it
was the beginning of what I consider to be me today.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Paul McCartney counted out the beginning of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All My Loving</i> that historic night, I was
10 years old, sitting on my parents’ bed in their room watching the TV. It was
black-and-white, and had one small speaker. I was transfixed; from that time
onward, I listened to the radio every minute I could. I had it on while I did
my homework, or was just lying on my bed staring into space. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was hooked. And why not? To a boy approaching his 11<sup>th</sup>
birthday, they were heroes – cool, powerful, and they seemed to be having a
great time together. Besides that, the music was brilliant. Music critics
started opining about their use of unusual chords and transitions, but it was
those polished three-part harmonies, generous samplings of R & B classics
from American artists, and especially, that youthful energy that captivated me,
and millions of others.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For my 11<sup>th</sup> birthday, I received my own copy of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Meet the Beatles</i>, the first American album.
My sitter, a teenage girl who watched us (I have two younger brothers), taught
me some basic dance moves to that album for my 7<sup>th</sup> grade dance. I
remember them playing Beatles songs at the dance, including someone’s joke
parody called “I Want to Hold Your Feet.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I continued to listen to the radio enthusiastically through
1964, 1965, and 1966, hearing Beatles songs as they came out, along with their
British Invasion buddies: the Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Animals, the
Hollies, the Dave Clark Five, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The
Who, and on and on. But it was in 1967, after the Beatles retired from touring
and released the mysterious <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Strawberry
Fields Forever</i>, that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sgt Pepper’s
Lonely Hearts Club Band</i> appeared. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That June, my mother, for some reason, brought home a copy
of the album. I listened to it over and over and over, as I’m sure millions of
other Beatle fans did. I remember sitting directly in front of the Curtis-Mathes
wood stereo cabinet and looking at the texture of the speaker grilles and
studying the centerfold photo of the four guys with their mustaches. I decided
I had to get wire-rimmed glasses like my hero, John Lennon, and by 1968, I had
them. Wearing glasses was finally cool!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sgt. Pepper’s was an experience, from the cough and
murmuring of the crowd at the beginning to the long, extended multi-piano chord
that concludes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Day in the Life</i>. It
was unique, exciting, and monumental. Before long, other bands inserted odd
sections and instruments into their music, too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used to listen to the album and strum a badminton racquet
that was lying around the house. I was a bored clarinetist at the back of the
section in the school band. If mom, as an amateur cellist, was the musical inspiration
and album bringer, my father was the one who brought the gear. He and mom had
separated the previous fall, but one day, when he came to visit us, dad brought
me an electric guitar and small amplifier that some guy at work was selling.
This was as important, in its own way, as hearing the Beatles on TV in 1964.
Suddenly, I could start to play the songs myself! This was a big deal.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7ilz_f0AbnUIEk0f-RUs-8a_ZQO1JIp1UfJwso5xjnB76AJNTFT6lniFwOvK5ZTWWs1t_A3UASuWTQP9SnMjBpmVf5oue1voTde2NZP8uO56sQHFpIi3tUu2gm_Ba5fUTLdM43D6zbQ/s1600/Steve+-+1st+Guitar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7ilz_f0AbnUIEk0f-RUs-8a_ZQO1JIp1UfJwso5xjnB76AJNTFT6lniFwOvK5ZTWWs1t_A3UASuWTQP9SnMjBpmVf5oue1voTde2NZP8uO56sQHFpIi3tUu2gm_Ba5fUTLdM43D6zbQ/s1600/Steve+-+1st+Guitar.jpg" height="320" width="245" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next spring, I got an acoustic guitar, so I could easily
sit in my bedroom and play Beatle songs as much as I wanted. My friend Lisa,
who lived next door, was three years younger, but would sunbathe on the other
side of the fence and listen to me play. Eventually, we would sing together.
Our special song was, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I Will</i>, from
the The Beatles (White Album).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The energy and amazing changes of 1964’s music lasted, for
me, through the White Album in November of 1968, but by 1969, Beatle songs didn’t
have the same impact, as times and tastes changed. The whole radio scene was
changing. The sense of the four musicians being a unit had long disappeared, as
they grew up and became more individuated. I grew up too, although I still
played my guitar. I even started to write my own songs, emulating my heroes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1969, I moved to Arizona, and took my guitars with me. In
my loneliness, I wrote more songs, and also spent time with a particular girl,
listening to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Abbey Road</i>, much in the
way I had sat alone in front of that stereo in 1967 with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sgt. Pepper</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to form
a band with a couple of friends, but, despite acquiring a fantastic Fender
amplifier (worth a fortune today, if I still had it), it went nowhere. Then, in
the spring, the Beatles broke up, right as I graduated from high school. The
world changed again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in California in 1970 and 1971, I bought and listened
to John, Paul, and George’s initial solo albums. There was some great material
on there (Imagine, Maybe I’m Amazed, My Sweet Lord), but it wasn’t the same. I
tried being a solo “Dylan understudy” in San Francisco clubs for a little
while, but it was intimidating for an 18-year-old suburbanite, and I quickly
let it go, instead pursuing music at San Francisco State University. That
lasted one semester. “Sorry, no guitar majors.” I eventually became an English
major and graduated, years later.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1972, I got the urge to play the electric bass. I’m not
sure, looking back, why exactly, but I remember liking the sounds Paul made
with his violin-style Hofner. I took the only thing I had of value, my coin
collection, and traded it for a green Fender-style bass in a pawn shop in the
Tenderloin. Who needed those old coins anyway? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t even have an amplifier yet, but I took my new
treasure home and plunked away on it, finger style, hoping for something to
happen. It wasn’t long before someone broke into my ground-floor apartment and
stole my beloved bass. That was the end of that experiment—before it had a
chance to develop.<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After that, I played guitar occasionally for fun. I recorded
some of my songs in 1971 at a friend’s house, and that recording exists today.
I took my acoustic guitar to Israel in 1974 and impressed the natives with my
rendition of “House of the Rising Sun” and various Beatles tunes, but I left it
there when I came home. It needed repairs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shortly after I graduated from college, I bought a nice,
modestly priced acoustic guitar to replace the one I’d given away five years
earlier. I played bluegrass mandolin in a Sunday pickup band in 1980. My first
wife and I sang a few times together (she performs wonderfully with a Jazz trio
today). But after that, it wasn’t until 2003, as I approached my 50<sup>th</sup>
birthday, that I decided that it was time to get my bass.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where do these ideas come from? My younger son was taking
guitar lessons, so I was visiting the music store every week. My old longing was
rekindled. But now, my coin collection long gone, I mentioned it to my beloved
and supportive wife, who said, “Why don’t you just go buy one?” So, there you
have it. Mom supplied Sgt. Pepper’s, dad the first guitar, my son inspired me
with his guitar lessons, and now, my darling spouse gave me the OK to go get
the instrument of my dreams.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I shopped, and found a lovely Fender bass. It has a sunburst
finish, with aluminum pick guard, and combines the classic “Precision” body
with a “Jazz” neck. Although I was already a guitar player, I decided to take a
few bass lessons, to get up to speed. I started weekly lessons with Dennis, a
guy about my age with a ponytail who had a lifetime of musical experience. We worked
on a variety of songs that I picked, new and old, and I found that playing the
bass felt natural. Dennis encouraged me to find other musicians to play with. I
now understand the importance of this. Music is much more than lessons. It’s a
living thing that happens when people play together.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks to Dennis’ suggestion, and references from the music
store, I found three other musicians, and we started our own band! After all
these years, I was the bass player in a band. Red Paint lasted for six years,
and although we didn’t get rich or famous, we played gigs and even recorded a
CD! It was a dream come true. We duplicated the Beatles in being a foursome on
guitars, bass and drums. We even played a few Beatles songs – I got to do my
version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You’ve Got to Hide Your Love
Away</i>, a Lennon-penned favorite.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once again, I don’t know exactly where this urge came from,
but it had something to do with a little foldable list of recommended albums
that featured the bass. Sgt. Pepper’s was on the list, but I also started
listening to some music I hadn’t heard before, including some great Jazz
recordings. I became aware of the rich tones of the upright bass on Jazz and
some folk and bluegrass albums. Paul Chambers! Ray Brown! I found one of those
old-fashioned advertisements on the wall of a music store, with little pull-off
tabs at the bottom with the teacher’s name and phone number. I called and set
up my first acoustic bass lesson in July of 2004.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe having the cello around the house growing up helped,
but I moved over to the upright bass pretty easily. After an enjoyable first
lesson using his bass, Damon, my new teacher, took me to a fine old music store
in downtown Oakland, where I rented my own big brown bass. What was I thinking?
I started on the basic orange book—the Simandl method -- but also fooled around
with some Jazz tunes. Damon was the right guy for me – young and helpful and he
didn’t treat me like a beginner.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a year or so of this, I took the summer off to think
about it. I decided to continue, and at that point, I traded my loaner for a
real bass of my own. It’s a beauty, hand-carved in China and I still play it
almost every day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s more still to this story. In 2006, I got to play in
a Beatles cover band, Fab Fever. What could be better than that? I was still
finding my way on the bass, but we did have a great time while it lasted.
Although I left that group to focus my energies on Red Paint, today, I still
play with one member of that group, Frank. We’re Two of Us, and as a duo, we
run through a range of Beatles songs, and some other fine material. Hey—the Beatles
played covers, too. Frank has a rich baritone, so we inevitably sing the
Beatles’ songs in a lower key. I still have many friendships from the Fab Fever
group, and we’ve played summer outdoor concerts affiliated with the Odd
Fellows.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In late 2006, just around the time that my Red Paint group
got started, I got a flyer in the mail for the local Adult School. In it, I saw
a listing for a community orchestra. I hadn’t thought about that, but why not?
I signed up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On January 2, 2007, I hauled my upright bass to a rehearsal
at a private home. It was a week before rehearsals would begin at the school. Not
knowing a soul, I stood in the back and tried to play what was on the music. I
hit a few notes, and despite my frustration and embarrassment, I enjoyed being
with the group. I especially liked the conductor, Josh. With a smile, he came
over to talk with me. I apologized for hitting so few notes, and he said, “Well,
come on back next week and you can play some more!” I did, and that was the
beginning of what’s now a seven-year position in the Castro Valley Adult School
Chamber Orchestra. I’m the principal bassist there now. I’ve played three or
four concerts a year of the greats – Beethoven, Dvorak, Mozart, and many others. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From that orchestra connection, I’ve picked up chamber
music, playing in small groups, including quarterly weekends locally and two
one-week-long summertime visits to the fantastic Humboldt Chamber Music
Workshop. There is not much better on this earth than living in the dorms,
eating in the cafeteria with your fellow musicians, and playing beautiful music
all day and all night. I came home both times from my “grown up music camp”
inspired and energized.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6AeQnU5Yyh9nHNCVltIimKT3EqL4HYp7CV6nPjf16CpkE7xsegNZvSiYq0ai6kWR73vu_PJ0AYTlZroBHqlfkiZXo4sitoekrp-yhtxGk1MQiuDNEc3jTN9TkmKv0WSM3xsd0DznfzE/s1600/me_bass_11-13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6AeQnU5Yyh9nHNCVltIimKT3EqL4HYp7CV6nPjf16CpkE7xsegNZvSiYq0ai6kWR73vu_PJ0AYTlZroBHqlfkiZXo4sitoekrp-yhtxGk1MQiuDNEc3jTN9TkmKv0WSM3xsd0DznfzE/s1600/me_bass_11-13.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today? I’m a member of Tablues, a blues and R&B band. We
played 20 gigs in the second half of last year, and we’ve recorded some nice
demos. I’m still with the orchestra. I am playing a Beethoven Septet with a private
chamber music group that found me last year to help them with Schubert’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trout Quintet</i>, which needs a bass! I’ve
played the Trout often over the last few years, pleasing musicians who enjoy
the deep sound. Most chamber music doesn’t include bass.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you, John, Paul, George and Ringo, for starting me off
on my musical path. And also, thanks to Mom, Dad, Cathy, Cameron, Joy, Dennis,
Damon, Frank, Josh, Red Paint, Fab Fever, The Castro Valley Chamber Orchestra,
Sycamore 129 Blues Band, Tablues, Kenneth, and all my other musical friends and
colleagues, who’ve made it possible.</div>
Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-39130571611572476392014-01-26T22:58:00.002-08:002014-01-27T06:02:20.146-08:00Classical Afternoon with the Prometheus Symphony Orchestra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaeyGaNS4kpENr-9iQ6l0cKyrQrhuDqSIehL_dyaELFSAAbGIY1J7cHFyC_3DDPp0ufBOh9OrOaxeijTcPiNKQxrYgeTGy1GA0xsh4IoIrtFcge0n459gXrR1w1kKK8nQaq-UWkypzdQ/s1600/Prometheus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaeyGaNS4kpENr-9iQ6l0cKyrQrhuDqSIehL_dyaELFSAAbGIY1J7cHFyC_3DDPp0ufBOh9OrOaxeijTcPiNKQxrYgeTGy1GA0xsh4IoIrtFcge0n459gXrR1w1kKK8nQaq-UWkypzdQ/s1600/Prometheus.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
My wife just sent me an article about the decline in interest in Classical music. That may well be so, but that wasn't what I saw in Oakland, California today, when I attended a packed church to hear three renowned classical pieces.<br />
<br />
I play in an orchestra myself, so I like to go hear this music performed whenever I can. I have several friends in the <a href="http://www.prometheussymphony.org/index.html" target="_blank">Prometheus Symphony Orchestra</a> in Oakland, so when I found myself free today, off I went.<br />
<br />
The orchestra is celebrating its 49th season, which is a remarkable accomplishment. Working through Merritt College, a local community college, it has grown and matured over the years to an ensemble of notable power and capability. Although the group rehearses at the college, performances are at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in the scenic part of the city of Oakland, right by Lake Merritt.<br />
<br />
I drove along Grand Avenue and located the church. The problem, of course, was parking, but with a few minutes to spare, I found a good spot two blocks away. I arrived just in time to walk through the large wooden doors and receive my nicely-designed and information-packed program.<br />
<br />
As a bassist, I chose to sit where I could watch my fellows, selecting a spot on a hard wooden pew on the right side, a few rows back from the musicians. As the orchestra members assembled, I noted that the men were dressed in tuxedos, the women in black dresses. It was a formal occasion! Naturally, the audience was more casually attired, but there was the right sense of decorum but friendly excitement.<br />
<br />
Classical music is better with some explanation, and we got an excellent preparation to hear each piece from Eric Hansen, the conductor and music director since 1997. Like Leonard Bernstein used to do, Hansen, with humor and insight, told us about the composers and the pieces we were about to hear.<br />
<br />
Hansen's talk really helped with the first selection, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ives" target="_blank">Charles Ives</a>' <i>The Unanswered Question</i>. Ives, a greatly talented man who composed while working full-time in the insurance industry, was not well understood in his time, but has since become a significant figure in 20th-Century music. The Unanswered Question combines a very slow and subtle string part over which a Q and A takes place between solo trumpet and a group of woodwinds. In fact, the two parts are so different that Hansen brought in a second conductor to keep the strings moving slowly while the winds did their thing. It worked for the audience, who seemed to appreciate the work. <br />
<br />
Moving then to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Copland" target="_blank">Aaron Copland</a>'s <i>Appalachian Spring Suite</i>, the music became a little more familiar. Copland, a major 20th-Century figure during his long lifetime (1900-90), wrote music that sounds like the cowboy west (Marlboro Country) and reminded me too of Alexander Courage's Star Trek theme. Copland borrowed Folk and Jazz motifs and worked with great artists and dancers of the time. In fact, the Appalachian Spring Suite is subtitled <i>Ballet for Martha</i>, for dancer/choreographer Martha Graham. The 1945 piece went over well, and then, off we went to chat with some of the musicians and other listeners outside. By the way, Copland received the Pulitzer Prize for Music for this score.<br />
<br />
After a brownie and some surprisingly good coffee, I found my seat and got ready for the main course. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton%C3%ADn_Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k" target="_blank">Antonin Dvorak</a>'s <i>Concerto for Cello in B Minor Op. 104</i> is a grand and familiar piece. We got the special treat of hearing 16-year-old soloist Ila Shon, who won the Felix Khuner Young Artist Concerto Competition. The award, now in its 25th year, is named for violinist Felix Khuner, who retired from the San Francisco Symphony and played with the Prometheus. His son, Jonathan, later conducted the orchestra. This award goes to two deserving young musicians each year. The other musician in this year's competition will play at the next Prometheus concert on March 23rd.<br />
<br />
Shon, who has already studied cello for ten of her 16 years, was a sensation, playing with feeling and exquisite precision. The way she brought her bow up with a flourish after a particularly lively solo passage was dramatic, and she seemed to be having a good time. <br />
<br />
All too soon, the concert ended, and people filed out of the handsome, clerestoried church onto the street. The sun was just going down on an unseasonably warm January Sunday afternoon, and all seemed right with the world.<br />
<br />
Classical music is here to stay, and there's plenty of it out there, if you know where to look and how to listen. The Prometheus Symphony Orchestra, by presenting five free concerts throughout the year, is doing a lot to keep it accessible. Although the concerts are free, you are encouraged to donate, during intermission and anytime. I did, and it was a deal! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-39995235685249022022014-01-18T23:43:00.001-08:002014-01-18T23:43:39.966-08:00A Visit with Lowell's Zon Bass Guitar<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj013cfxMCL3yl14IJSIKR59dYq1i7Kd6NEWeH73S5snQuXemQhMTLWwjmHLsLQ6heMHgUy2bE45piD6KI94WTZhX-ehhPb_rWxotmEA2Ntt2k4Ac4jINRDWdA3r-TFUsPSU3cEqaZN8_0/s1600/Zon_Sonus_Lowell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj013cfxMCL3yl14IJSIKR59dYq1i7Kd6NEWeH73S5snQuXemQhMTLWwjmHLsLQ6heMHgUy2bE45piD6KI94WTZhX-ehhPb_rWxotmEA2Ntt2k4Ac4jINRDWdA3r-TFUsPSU3cEqaZN8_0/s1600/Zon_Sonus_Lowell.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Today, I went to visit visit one of my late friend Lowell's basses. It has been consigned with the fine musical instrument store, <a href="http://www.gryphonstrings.com/instpix/42818/index.php" target="_blank">Gryphon Stringed Instruments</a>, in Palo Alto, CA.<br />
<br />
Click the link, and you'll see a description and a bunch of photos of this lovely instrument. Zon is well regarded in the bass community for its fine products, and this surely was one of Lowell's favorites. I've heard bassist Michael Manring do incredible things with his Zon.<br />
<br />
I located the store tucked into some mixed use space behind town, across from the Mercedes-Benz showroom. After finding a parking spot on the street alongside the nondescript building, I walked around the corner and entered.<br />
<br />
Gryphon has desks and glass counters up front, but ranging to the side and back are rooms full of all kinds of acoustic guitars, dobros, banjos, and MORE guitars. There was a long wall covered with multicolored ukuleles. I discovered a collection of banjos in one room, a grouping of shiny dobros further in. Lowell's Zon Sonus Standard five-string bass, with its lovely burl face, was hanging in a short rack of several electric basses in a soundproof room. Derek See, who found it for me, wore a 1967-style paisley shirt, which I admired.<br />
<br />
Once inside the room, plugged into a handy amp, it was just me and the bass. I said hi to it, and then held it close, thinking about Lowell playing it. I played some runs, and some patterns from the songs I do with <a href="http://tablues.net/" target="_blank">Tablues</a>, my band. I twiddled the knobs, changing the pickups and tone. It sounded and felt great, as I expected.<br />
<br />
I believe that basses are best when played with other instruments, so I invited in Oliver, who was sampling a 1941 Martin acoustic guitar in the main showroom. It had a price tag of $38,000. Oh MY. I might be scared to touch something that valuable! He played through a couple of fiddle tunes with me on the guitar before stepping back into the other room. It was a sublime moment. <br />
<br />
I guess I hoped to channel Lowell or have some kind of cosmic experience while holding his bass, but I realized that this instrument, lovely as it was, was not going to serve as a magic conduit to my friend. The fact that Lowell owned it doesn't make it a better instrument, but I do feel that if I played it in shows and rehearsed with it, I'd remember my friend more often and share something special with him.<br />
<br />
Sadly, at $1,275, the Zon is a little over my budget right now. I'd love to have a five-string bass someday, and this one would be perfect, but it looks like it'll have to wait.<br />
<br />
I also was hoping to find another of Lowell's basses, a hollow-bodied <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Guitars" target="_blank">Tacoma </a>Thunderchief. With its single paisley sound hole, it was truly remarkable looking and sounding. I played it last year when I visited Lowell to bring him some dinner and hang out. Despite his illness, he was still able to pick up a guitar and we played several songs together. But the Tacoma already has a new home. <br />
<br />
Lowell, as a Buddhist, might laugh at my attachment to material things. I continue to live here in the material world while he does not, and that's just the way it is. I like to think that even without possessing his instruments, I can use the memory of my friend to live a better life, filled with more of the humor, kindness, creativity and awareness that Lowell had in abundance in his life. I don't need a specific instrument to do that. But I do know that if I had the cash I would have a new member in my musical arsenal tonight.<br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-66929629621436592422013-12-29T12:39:00.000-08:002013-12-29T12:59:27.378-08:00My Friend Lowell is Gone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lc0w1Ek-LDDEct4pQPt5_rwWMs8Gz2rBH2_xsK1yXhyL4uLkkRW3E2MIgIOo8IV5NrO7OhJkz0C_8P4-H9X5_6wx_C7jaOgjIOZHF7mMBrKrHQHqEyRlt_2PWkJuYja467Rhj09XXyI/s1600/Lowell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lc0w1Ek-LDDEct4pQPt5_rwWMs8Gz2rBH2_xsK1yXhyL4uLkkRW3E2MIgIOo8IV5NrO7OhJkz0C_8P4-H9X5_6wx_C7jaOgjIOZHF7mMBrKrHQHqEyRlt_2PWkJuYja467Rhj09XXyI/s320/Lowell.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
I knew it was coming, but when Lowell Moulton died yesterday, I let out a big sigh and didn’t want to believe it. It wasn’t long ago that we were playing music together in the congeniality of the Odd Fellows monthly blues jams.<br />
<br />
We sometimes say, when someone dies, that they are finally at peace. In his brave, Zen-minded way, Lowell faced the end of his life with curiosity and patience, and was at peace before he died. He tried every medical treatment available, but when none would work, he courageously accepted his fatal condition and lived his remaining days with full consciousness. I can only hope that if my final days are spent with a terrible illness, that I can have his attitude. <br />
<br />
I met Lowell in 2007, when he took over my bass slot in the Beatles tribute band, Fab Fever. With his high musical competence, fine ear, and ready smile, he always added so much to the music he performed. Although the iteration of Fab Fever containing Lowell didn’t last long, I got to play with him later during jam sessions, where he proved to be a capable blues lead guitar player. His Herd of Cats band showed his Jazz chops, too.<br />
<br />
As in Dickens’ <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, you can measure the kind of life you’ve lived by the number and quality of friends you have at the end. By this calculation, Lowell was the richest man in town. As his illness progressed, many stepped forward to help him with his daily living, including meals, trips to appointments, yard clearing, and professional medical care. Using <a href="http://www.mealtrain.com/" target="_blank">MealTrain</a>, an online program that works like a gift registry, you could see what Lowell needed and sign up to provide it. Meal Train made sure that Lowell retained his independence at home but got adequate nutrition and could see his doctors. And, it kept the flow of visitors right for his schedule.<br />
<br />
I had the privilege of preparing and bringing Lowell dinner one night, and we played some music together. On another occasion, I drove him to San Francisco for a medical appointment. I also was able to get in one last phone call a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t know it would be the last time we spoke, but it ended with “I love you, Lowell.” <br />
<br />
Because I have known that he was leaving us, I’ve thought about Lowell a lot, and mourned him in advance, even before his actual death yesterday. Now, I feel emptiness. When someone dies suddenly, it’s a shock, and it takes a while to absorb the news. But when your friend or family member declines, you can carry the knowledge of their imminent departure with you every day, and begin missing them before they’re gone. I feel like I will carry Lowell in my heart forever.<br />
<br />
I have set his photo on my iPhone lock screen for the last couple of weeks. Whenever I open the phone to text or make a call, I see him standing on the stage at the Hayward Plunge, playing a blues solo in front of his friends. It was his final appearance in this summer music program. I also have a set of photos of him playing with Herd of Cats, at the Sycamore 129 Odd Fellows Lodge in Hayward. I’ll treasure them.<br />
<br />
I’ve lost three people this year—one suddenly, but two after debilitating illnesses. The sudden loss, my cousin Tom, was a shock, out of nowhere. Because I didn’t know him well, it had little impact on my daily life. My real concern was for his parents, my aunt and uncle, who will feel this great loss for the rest of their lives.<br />
<br />
For the two other losses, Barbara Garber in July and Lowell yesterday, I had time to say goodbye over time. Barbara, a feisty, red-headed standup comedian, was diagnosed with <a href="http://www.alsa.org/" target="_blank">ALS – Lou Gehrig’s disease</a> – a few years ago and, despite gradually losing her speech and mobility, she continued to post hysterically funny jokes and comments on Facebook until very shortly before she died. Barbara found humor in a fatal disease! She stared ALS in the eye and told it that it couldn’t silence her—even when she couldn’t speak. <br />
<br />
As a memorial, several comedian friends read some of Barbara’s Facebook posts out loud to an audience at the <a href="http://www.throckmortontheatre.org/index.php" target="_blank">Throckmorton Theatre</a> in Mill Valley. Even without Barbara’s unique voice and laugh, the jokes still had it. At Barbara’s “Celebration of Life” in August, the church was filled with the many people whom she had touched. They stood up, one after the other, to talk about Barbara. There were plenty of tears but lots of laughs, too. <br />
<br />
Lowell was not a comedian, but he had a great sense of humor, and also a bright, positive view of life. He and I attended a Gordon Lightfoot concert together a couple of years ago and he was fun to hang with—and we enjoyed a great health food restaurant before the show. I treasure that time now—in the days when he was strong and healthy. But Lowell was always that way, until pancreatic cancer struck him down at a youthful 64 years old. <br />
<br />
Barbara and Lowell didn’t do anything to deserve the way they were taken from us. The great story is how they both bravely and strongly remained true to themselves until the end. If there was any anger or bitterness, they kept it private. If you have to go, you can die with dignity.<br />
<br />
I am bereft, but also inspired by their lives and their deaths. Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-65586195198495328762013-12-15T10:33:00.000-08:002013-12-15T10:43:44.197-08:00Cinderella on Steroids - La Cenerentola, in Italian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JyH-8nZEwDoOXFJhYSodyUav5wWvi4hGyEkTVP87CyA1mHoO6tS2DpEMvqTyUPVUg2Ltld9rUXI9EgLVCXXSxJGZPlpjcpCwOfCrmz8WK8Fb0s7d8PxkFhjSEer3Z1BkV481t7SsmRk/s1600/La_Cenerentola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JyH-8nZEwDoOXFJhYSodyUav5wWvi4hGyEkTVP87CyA1mHoO6tS2DpEMvqTyUPVUg2Ltld9rUXI9EgLVCXXSxJGZPlpjcpCwOfCrmz8WK8Fb0s7d8PxkFhjSEer3Z1BkV481t7SsmRk/s1600/La_Cenerentola.jpg" /></a></div>
Everyone knows the story of Cinderella. She’s the virtuous, but abused, stepsister whose virtue is eventually rewarded when she meets and marries the prince. But you probably have never seen it as an opera, in Italian. You really should.<br />
<br />
Last night, I enjoyed La Cenerentola, composed by Gioachino Rossini, at the California Conservatory Theater in San Leandro, California. The 67-seat performance space guarantees intimacy, as it has for the other fine productions I’ve seen there. I had literally front-row center seats, too, so I was not only looking up at the actors/singers, but one time one of the stepsister’s hands brushed again my knee during a scene played in front of the stage.<br />
<br />
You may not think of yourself as an opera enthusiast, and many people are put off by the intense performance of these highly trained singers. A show like this could change your opinion. The entire performance was sung in Italian, but I found that I forgot about the words, thanks to some supertitles (which gave the gist of the action) and the emotion communicated by the singers’ physical presence and voices.<br />
<br />
This production was presented with the sincerity the story requires but also was filled with humor. The costumes, for example, were modern, but in the first scene, the two stepsisters, Clorinda and Tisbe, appear in their garish, tightly-stretched track suits, “getting in shape” for an expected appearance by the prince, who has to take a bride. And their clothing never gets more tasteful than that, as these two play comic buffoons through the whole show—while still maintaining the high standards of professional opera.<br />
<br />
This production, which runs for only a single Friday through Sunday, December 13-15, 2013, is put on by <a href="http://www.operaontap.org/san-francisco" target="_blank">Opera on Tap</a> (OOT), a non-profit organization whose mission is to make opera a real choice for people who may have never considered going to experience one. If you can appreciate a dramatic pop singer, how about a whole cast of them? OOT brings opera to accessible neighborhood venues, at reasonable prices, to expose more people to this classical style in an informal way. Nobody in the audience was wearing jewels, and the sets were quite simple—the kind you’d see in a community playhouse. But it worked beautifully. Visit their website for more information.<br />
<br />
Part of this effort includes two matinees on Saturday and Sunday, abridged for children, with a different cast. Next time, I’m planning on attending one of those too to see how they do it.<br />
<br />
The music was supported—you might even say driven—by the rousing performance of the six-member chamber orchestra, directed by Michael Anthony Schuler. At stage right, facing away from the actors in their own virtual “pit,” sat a string quartet plus bass and piano. They provided a stirring platform for the voices. Occasionally, I looked over to watch Schuler directing the musicians as he followed and conveyed the stage action, and the musicians focused intensely on their music—and each other.<br />
<br />
It’s really hard to single out one particular vocal performance because I thought they were universally excellent. I am not an expert on opera, so I had no way to evaluate the technique. I do see from the program that all of the performers studied under expert teachers to perfect their art, and some have long performance histories.<br />
<br />
Jessica Winn, as Cenerentola, is a powerful mezzo-soprano, and managed to convey, in her jeans and headscarf, the downtrodden and miserable house servant who is then transformed into the beautiful future princess and queen. It’s a comic touch in a sad situation when as Cenerentola, she pulls out a pack of cigarettes from her jeans pocket.<br />
<br />
Cenerentola’s stepsisters, played by Krista Wigle and Jamie McDonald, kept the tension high with their overreaction to their various disappointments and their pervasive sibling rivalry. It was hard to be sympathetic to these characters—they are meant to be “mean” -- but the singers’ performances were powerful.<br />
<br />
The male characters were complicated by a classic switch. Prince Ramiro, played by Jonathan Smucker, spent more than half of the play disguised as his squire/valet, Dandini (Daniel Cameron) who has to act as a prince should. This device, of course, is to ferret out how the women will really treat people, and it works. It also gives the actors a chance to play two parts, essentially. As the pretend valet, Smucker almost seems like he’s watching a science experiment, from the side holding his chin and observing. When he takes back his identity again, he not only gains his suit jacket and royal red sash, but doffs the glasses he’s worn—and they go onto Dandini, who suddenly seems the servant again, while the Prince becomes royal.<br />
<br />
Andrew J. Chung, as Don Magnifico, is a powerful singer and he fills the stage, even with he’s out there alone. His role is not as a good guy—he craves power and attention, and is, after all, the father of those two obnoxious daughters—but what a performance!<br />
<br />
Alidoro, the tutor, has a special role as the catalyst and advisor, who links the scenes and action. Kenneth Keel serves ably in this capacity. He also appears early in the show as a homeless beggar with a huge gray beard with a black mustache. In this scene we observe Cenerentola’s compassion versus the contempt Alidoro receives from the stepsisters. This, of course, leads the prince to seek her out, and there’s our story.<br />
<br />
The program contains a five-page cartoon, explaining the story. Amusing in itself, it also helps provide the familiarity you want to have when you attend an opera, so you can concentrate on the exquisite beauty of the performance. <br />
<br />
With one short intermission, this evening kept my attention and enthusiasm, and the passion shown in the singing and instrumental performances at times had me in tears. I look forward to seeing future operas by this company, and you should plan to go, too. <a href="http://www.curtaincallperformingarts.org/" target="_blank">Curtain Call Performing Arts</a> is the theatre company in residence at The California Conservatory Theater. These opera performances by OOT fit perfectly into Curtain Call's vision of bringing fine art performances to everyone. <br />
<br />
Coming for a weekend in July, 2014 – Carmen!<br />
<br />
California Conservatory Theater<br />
999 E. 14th Street<br />
San Leandro, CA 94577Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-45080602316849445122013-12-07T21:53:00.001-08:002013-12-09T12:51:25.587-08:00Honda Fit EV - The Agony and the Ecstasy of Electric Motoring<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1hLXCVgsHsE3Hc2REPH259Y6Qd6iIwLbKS428cZv0MeoIF-QhNlWg5Ml3H5FDj2AbeFwx6TAiIlP9ZxoBfiVQQ-P58P5nSAjygCvI-YktGdK-DDTtsATRsinMFYPgCShKGU62S0CAkc/s1600/Honda_Fit_EV_2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1hLXCVgsHsE3Hc2REPH259Y6Qd6iIwLbKS428cZv0MeoIF-QhNlWg5Ml3H5FDj2AbeFwx6TAiIlP9ZxoBfiVQQ-P58P5nSAjygCvI-YktGdK-DDTtsATRsinMFYPgCShKGU62S0CAkc/s320/Honda_Fit_EV_2013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Fit EV fills up at the Blink Network charging station.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The <a href="http://automobiles.honda.com/fit-ev/" target="_blank">Honda Fit EV</a> is a great example of everything that’s wonderful — and terrible — about living with an electric car. I just spent a week with a Reflection Blue FIT EV and it took me on a real adventure.<br />
<br />
Let’s start with the upsides first. Nobody can argue that electric cars aren’t cleaner than gasoline burners. Of course, how much cleaner depends on how the electricity that you use is generated (coal-fired plant? Hydro-electric dam? Nuclear power plant?). But you aren’t burning anything in the car itself — there isn’t even a tailpipe. <br />
<br />
The EPA’s green ratings for the Fit EV are a perfect 10 for Smog and Greenhouse Gas. The window sticker says you’ll save $9,100 in fuel costs over five years compared to the average new vehicle.<br />
<br />
Electric motors are quiet and smooth. My tester made a little high-pitched whine when it gained momentum, but otherwise all I heard, even at freeway speeds, was a little hum from the tires and a very minimal bit of wind noise. Being a Honda, the car was well built and rattle- and buzz-free.<br />
<br />
The price of electricity is significantly less than gasoline, especially if you generate it from your own rooftop solar panels. I don’t have any yet, but my research showed that to go 30 miles in a gas version of the Fit would take one gallon of gas at $4.00; an Electric fit would use about $1.00 worth of electricity.<br />
<br />
How about the negatives? At this point, the biggest problem with electric cars, including the Fit, is range. Imagine if you had to put gas into your car’s tank three gallons at a time. With a 73-mile range like the Fit, you need a daily charge, if not twice a day. Charging at home in reasonable time means installing a 220-volt charger in your garage. Otherwise, at 110 volts, it could take longer to fill an empty battery than overnight. A 220-volt public charger takes about four hours.<br />
<br />
Another range-related issue is usage. If you plan to drive your EV only for commuting, and your daily mileage fits comfortably within the car’s range, then you can charge it up at night and the cycle works. However, if you want to come home after work and then take your car out again, you may not be able to do it. Also, forget those 150-mile round trips to visit the grandkids or long vacation excursions. In these cases, you’d better take the other (gas) car.<br />
<br />
Another problem is price. The Fit EV drives very nicely, is well finished, and comes pretty well equipped, but it’s still based on the Fit, which is Honda’s cheapest car. You can buy the basic gas-powered Fit starting at $16,215, while the price of my test car was $37,415! And despite their wildly different drivetrains, the two versions look nearly identical, except for a chrome smile up front and EV badges on the electric. <br />
<br />
Nissan’s, the pioneer in the mainstream EV market, created a new model — the Leaf — to avoid this kind of comparison between basic gas model and upscale electric. Honda, along with Ford, Fiat, and Chevrolet, is using available platforms — a cost-saving move but one that may be harder to sell to the public. <br />
<br />
There are significant federal and state rebates that can take up to $10,000 off the price of an EV, but it still costs a lot more than a gas-powered model. Good leasing deals are out there. Currently, you can lease a Fit EV for three years at $259 a month, although availability is very limited.<br />
<br />
Of course, the Tesla Model S is another case entirely. It’s very expensive, starting at $71,070, but the range is not an issue, at 208 or 265 miles, depending on model. Most of us, though, will have to opt for the more ordinary EVs.<br />
<br />
The challenge of driving an EV is learning how to live carefully on your meager energy budget. The Fit’s instrument panel has a Power/Charge gauge on the left that shows you if you’re using electricity or generating it and on the right is a full/empty gauge for the battery. <br />
<br />
There is also a digital estimated range display front and center. You can make this figure larger or smaller depending on whether you choose Econ, Normal, or Sport mode on the left side of the steering column. With, Econ, the 100% full range is 73 miles. Pushing the Normal button drops that to 62, and Sport drops further to 56. These are approximations, and they can vary tremendously depending on how you drive. <br />
<br />
Econ is the most frugal setting, but during the cold snap of my test week, I found that it reduced the heater function to nearly nothing. Switching to Normal restores normal climate function, and also makes the car much quicker off the line when you press the accelerator. Sport mode gives another boost to acceleration, but seems unnecessary otherwise.<br />
<br />
My real adventure and educational experience was in getting the car charged up. My first day, I was surprised to drive my 30 miles to work and see the range drop from 59 to just 48. I had recovered a lot of the electricity because I was in terrible stop-and-go traffic. Secret: EVs do exceptionally well in these conditions, because speeds are low and there is plenty of opportunity to recharge the battery with regenerative braking. <br />
<br />
With this success, I figured I was safe to take the trip back without a recharge. However, by the time I got close to home that Tuesday evening, the instruments were displaying a worrisome 11-mile range and a Low Battery warning light came on as I approached my house.<br />
<br />
To avoid stress, on Wednesday, I went looking for a charging station near my office. I had used one before that was a 20-minute walk away, but it was a Blink Network site and I only had a ChargePoint card from the press fleet. So, I went to the nearest ChargePoint station — more than a mile away — and found that I couldn’t use it. It was on a major software company’s campus, and it was reserved.<br />
<br />
However, I made a call to ChargePoint and was able to get connected — but I had to use the personal ChargePoint account I had set up months ago. I enjoyed a vigorous 35-minute walk back to the office, but I’d hate to have to do that every day. I got a ride to pick up the car later.<br />
<br />
The following day, I decided to try using the ChargePoint chargers right across the street from my office. Although they were in front of a well-known video rental company, I thought that maybe the wizards at ChargePoint could open them up for me the way they had on Wednesday. The polite woman on the other side of the line did her best, but it was a no go. I then decided to try the Blink Network station again, hoping for a miracle.<br />
<br />
I got my miracle. When I called Blink, Dustin told me that they have a Guest User plan. So, in five minutes, my hungry Fit was charging up. One more day was taken care of, and I got my nice 20-minute walk back to work.<br />
<br />
I was beginning to feel like I had it together. I was much more relaxed having the security of a full charge morning and night. So, I drove in Normal instead of Econ mode and enjoyed the warmth and responsiveness that the Fit offers. That’s when I realized how much I enjoyed the car. The Fit is absolutely stable and feels light and taut, although my driving was not on exciting roads. The motor’s torque pulls you forward nicely, and the expansive glass greenhouse and long dash make it feel spacious. The silvery panels and light gray plastic (none of it padded) helped, too. I was able to play the audio system without any apparent impact on my electricity budget.<br />
<br />
Charge companies keep in touch with you. I received text messages from ChargePoint telling me when the car was full — and also when I removed the charger from the car (in case it was someone else!). Blink Network sent me emails with the same contents. After my experience with them, I signed up for a free membership, so I’ll be ready when the next electric test car comes along.<br />
<br />
The bottom line is, if you are willing to put up with the obvious issues of range and price, an EV may be for you — and the Honda is nice to drive and handy to use, with its hatchback. If I owned one, I would be sure there was a charger at my workplace and install one in my garage. I would also be sure to have a reliable second car that burns petrol available for longer trips.<br />
<br />
There are other options. Besides the several EVs on the market, there are plug-in hybrids, which allow you limited all-electric driving and then switch to efficient hybrid operation. The Toyota Prius Plug-In and <a href="http://testdrivinglife.blogspot.com/2013/07/ford-c-max-energi-partway-to-pure.html" target="_blank">Ford C-Max Energi</a> are good examples. Another choice is the <a href="http://testdrivinglife.blogspot.com/2012/03/getting-charge-out-of-chevy-volt.html" target="_blank">Chevrolet Volt</a>, which is an electric car with a built-in gasoline engine that’s used only as a generator to charge the battery for extended range.<br />
<br />
These cars eliminate the range issues, but are still more expensive than comparable gasoline vehicles. They are even more expensive than their regular hybrid versions. And, they still use some gas. <br />
<br />
The electric-only range for plug-in hybrids varies from about 13 miles for the Prius to 21 for the C-Max and 38 for the Volt. These models, like the current EVs and standard hybrids, are all interim steps that will eventually lead to what we really want — electric vehicles with a useful range, quick and convenient charging, and an affordable price.Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-57229795304443696722013-11-24T00:51:00.001-08:002013-11-24T00:51:44.144-08:00500L - More Fiat for your Family<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92XYcjIm5-J1NiK_mlIKlqKdPkhLp7ysoBi0sUJIkaZcaAtR0qp6axWd48wD4y20_MqXM1p_R3xkhyPxH5kKeaZSPNs6DAusNJC2g3WAdnwWrjFdOiQAJeePYOpHFYlw6WBF5Vo9XEyY/s1600/Fiat_500L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92XYcjIm5-J1NiK_mlIKlqKdPkhLp7ysoBi0sUJIkaZcaAtR0qp6axWd48wD4y20_MqXM1p_R3xkhyPxH5kKeaZSPNs6DAusNJC2g3WAdnwWrjFdOiQAJeePYOpHFYlw6WBF5Vo9XEyY/s320/Fiat_500L.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big 500L looms behind 500</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a long absence, Fiat returned to our shores a couple of years ago with the cute little <a href="http://testdrivinglife.blogspot.com/2013/04/fiat-500-abarth-small-but-wicked.html" target="_blank">500</a>. About the size of a MINI Cooper hardtop, the pint-size retro two-door hatchback is cute and fun to drive, and has proven economical and reliable so far. <br />
<br />Fiat dealers complained that they had only one car to sell, despite offering different versions. What the revived brand needed was something bigger that still retained much of the appeal of the 500.<br />
<br />Well, for 2014, the new <a href="http://www.fiatusa.com/en/500l/" target="_blank">500L</a> offers four doors (plus the handy hatchback) and lots of room inside. It’s 27 inches longer and six inches taller than the regular 500 and contains 42 percent more space.<br />
<br />The 500L uses the 1.4-liter, 160-horsepower turbocharged engine from the sporty Abarth model of the 500. With its 184 lb.-ft. of torque, it pulls the 3,254-pound 500L down the road well, if not racily. The EPA awards the car with 24 City, 33 Highway, 27 Combined mileage figures; I averaged 24.5 mpg. The Green Vehicle scores are 5 for Smog and 7 for Greenhouse Gas.<br />
<br />My Blanco (white) sample with black interior was a Lounge model — the top of the line. Lounges come only with Fiat's twin-clutch automatic transmission, so if you want a manual, you'll have to pick the Pop or Easy model. The Pop is the entry 500L, while the Easy adds popular favorites, such as 16-inch alloy wheels, leather steering wheel and shift knob, and the option of the automatic gearbox. The Trekking iteration is geared for sportier living, with graphite (gray) body accents, upgraded 17-inch alloy wheels, and a unique interior color scheme.<br />
<br />As I drove around I was surprised that nobody was staring at me. Did they think it was a regular 500? Couldn't they tell it was much bigger? Maybe drivers are just jaded. <br />
<br />The 500L has unusual windshield pillars. These pillars have become tree trunks in recent cars to support the safety cages that protect you. The 500L splits them, with a generous slice of window in between, so you see more pillars but it ends up being quite panoramic and with the generous headroom, you feel like you're in a bigger car.<br />
<br />My car had an optional sunroof that took up nearly the entire top. The front section slides open for fresh air. It's like being on the observation car of the Santa Fe Super Chief. The dash features two gloveboxes, and is covered in what looked like Naugahyde. One hopes this covering will survive years of sun and not crack, like it did in cars of yore. The steering wheel, in leather, features a clever "squared circle" theme, accentuated by the shape of the leather folds and stitching. The presence of leather upgrades the interior significantly.<br />
<br />The automatic climate control system kept the car colder than I'd prefer, even when I set it up to 74 or 75 degrees. I also noticed a squeak — something I am not used to hearing. I don't know if the fact that the car is assembled in Kragujevac, Serbia means anything for quality control.<br />
<br />The small, but sharply rendered screen at center dash features the beautiful graphics that have proliferated across Chrysler/Fiat models. I was able to view and set audio, climate, and other information easily. The 500L has one of my favorites — steering wheel audio controls mounted on the back of the steering wheel spokes, so you can make adjustments in volume, media type and station/track selection without looking away from the road or moving your hands from the wheel.<br />
<br />The audio system, with six optional Beats Audio premium speakers plus subwoofer, pounded out some of the better sound I've heard in a car lately. The Bluetooth phone connection failed a couple of times, but was easy enough to hook up.<br />
<br />The rear cargo floor panel lifts and slides into a higher slot to make the load floor flat when you have the rear seats folded down. The lightweight cargo area cover, however, is balky and made dark marks on the interior surfaces when I attempted to position it.<br />
<br />Pricing starts at just $19,900 for the Pop, including shipping. The Easy begins at $20,995, the Trekking at $21,995, and the Lounge sits at the top at $24,995.<br />
<br />I thought that this car was a lot like a MINI Countryman in proportions and purpose, and it’s just slightly bigger than the big MINI. But you would need to drive both to decide if you’re a MINI maniac or a Fiat fanatic.<br />
<br />Now, with the 500L, you can enjoy fresh Italian styling and performance and bring along your friends and their gear, too. And, you’ll be a member of an exclusive club until these new cars proliferate.<br /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-74857010410171763522013-11-04T21:36:00.002-08:002013-11-04T21:41:45.362-08:00Toyota RAV4 - First and Latest Compact SUV<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMZ4JYgDAaePlN6dVyOn-SBgVEcpvlQoSMdvgBPmzFtz3vJk0r8mz18NK42hyxIUuW-o_XeFuqxygSueD0eSJvoYe0Pv1fzFC6CAbFYDyzXL5yRGv6_94Aam7f6ykS4mbvZl84JK035k/s1600/2013RAV4XLE001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMZ4JYgDAaePlN6dVyOn-SBgVEcpvlQoSMdvgBPmzFtz3vJk0r8mz18NK42hyxIUuW-o_XeFuqxygSueD0eSJvoYe0Pv1fzFC6CAbFYDyzXL5yRGv6_94Aam7f6ykS4mbvZl84JK035k/s320/2013RAV4XLE001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The <a href="http://www.toyota.com/rav4/#!/Welcome" target="_blank">Toyota RAV4</a> seems to be in the perfect spot in the market. It's small enough to be agile, fun, and go anywhere, but large enough for a family of 5 and their gear. Over time, small crossovers have become more like tall cars, taking on
much of the duties of midsize station wagons from years past.<br />
<br />
The original compact crossover SUV showing up in 1995, it debuted its fourth iteration for 2013, heavily redone, but still hitting the mark.<br />
<br />
Like all brands, Toyota wants to spread its current design scheme around, and this new RAV4 gets the narrow upper grille with large mouth behind it, sculpted flanks, and high, chiseled taillamps in back. There's a roof spoiler that extends the roof line jauntily, and presumably moves the air over the car more efficiently. <br />
<br />
There is one engine in today's RAV4 a 2.5-liter inline four putting out 176 horsepower and 172 lb.-ft. of torque. In the past, you could pick up the base RAV4 with a do-it-yourself shifter, but those days are gone. All models, from LE to XLE to Limited, get a six-speed automatic. As you'd expect, it was painless, and helped deliver an OK but hardly spectacular 23.1 miles per gallon. The EPA gives the car a 25 overall, with 22 City and 29 Highway. Smog is rated at 5, with Greenhouse gas at 6, per the EPA.<br />
<br />
Choose front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The AWD system is light and doesn't impact the weight as much as some systems. My AWD tester came in at 3585 lb., only 120 lbs. heavier than the FWD model. <br />
<br />
SUVs came from pickup trucks, which were in themselves kind of rugged but spartan years ago. Of course, trucks are quite luxurious now, and SUVs, whether large or not so large, are much more comfortable today than you might have even imagined years ago. My XLE had a surprisingly carlike dash, for example, with a softly padded lower section, French stitching, handsome instruments with Clear Blue lighting, and other amenities. It contains a six-inch color touch screen, which is a little small, but still usable. I found the map graphics to be a little toy-like and hard to view in traffic, but the audio was fine, as was the Bluetooth phone connection.<br />
<br />
Like so many Toyotas today, the RAV4 comes with a three-way setting for ECO, Sport and Normal. Eco is slower to react, but burns less fuel. Sport mode tightens up the steering and suspension. Normal is fine for everything.<br />
<br />
This is a strong little car but is not designed, with all-wheel drive, for driving the Rubicon with the Jeep Wranglers. Luckily, no-one plans to do that with these cars. The all-wheel drive is a safety feature in rain, gravel or snow, none of which imposed themselves on yours truly in the early autumn of Northern California.<br />
<br />
There isn't a stripped RAV4 anymore, but it's worth picking up the Limited model. My Barcelona Red Metallic tester was the popular midrange XLE, which shares the dual-zone climate control and power moonroof with the Limited, but the Limited has the extra goodies. Outside, there are 18-inch alloys instead of 17-inchers. There's a power liftgate (the sideways opening door is gone in this generation). You get seat heaters, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and premium audio in the Limited.<br />
<br />
Pricing starts with the FWD LE model, at $24,145. Step up to the Limited and you're looking at $29,255. Neatly splitting the difference is the XLE, at $26,535 with all-wheel drive. My tester came to $27,565 thanks to the fancy audio system.<br />
<br />
I've already seen lots of new RAV4s out on the road. It's an easy choice for a buyer to make, despite the wealth of competition these days. With its updated styling, increased power and real comfort inside, it will likely stay that way.Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-22098830466897853002013-10-27T15:02:00.001-07:002013-10-27T15:28:11.137-07:00Nissan JUKE NISMO - Affordable Little Piece of the Racetrack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigl4dQkdmkwqvTI0pm0ZmXo5D7b7YyNdCzXvD3X8X8MS3ZblJuXr8nYz_JxU8QHtK62DHe-5kv3Bpf2WDKBpuPVJg9uuDoNklp4PskdkAGKzUhmvK1qBjHmVmCQTity5Ydi_ryzQTScls/s1600/2013_JUKE_NISMO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigl4dQkdmkwqvTI0pm0ZmXo5D7b7YyNdCzXvD3X8X8MS3ZblJuXr8nYz_JxU8QHtK62DHe-5kv3Bpf2WDKBpuPVJg9uuDoNklp4PskdkAGKzUhmvK1qBjHmVmCQTity5Ydi_ryzQTScls/s320/2013_JUKE_NISMO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The Nissan JUKE is a strange little animal. It's a sporty compact crossover, with wheels at the corners and a high window line. Its face is not pretty. But it's practical, seating four and carrying nearly 36 cubic feet of gear when the seats fold flat.<br />
<br />
NISMO stands for <b>NIS</b>san <b>MO</b>torsports (just like BEVMO stands for Beverages & More). For nearly 50 years, this engineering group within Nissan has been specially tuning cars for racing, including the GT-R sports car for Japan's Super GT series. By bring the special look and tuning of NISMO vehicles to the JUKE, it's now possible for car enthusiasts of modest means (young) to have fun out on the streets without breaking the bank.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.nissanusa.com/crossovers/juke/nismo" target="_blank">JUKE NISMO</a> contains nearly 100 changed parts compared to the standard car. Notably, the body wears aerodynamic enhancements, including adjustments to the front fascia and grille and sweeping side skirts. The tail wears a body-colored liftgate spoiler and fascia diffuser. Red is applied strategically to make an impact--it's even in the O of NISMO.<br />
<br />
The lightweight alloy wheels on the JUKE NISMO are 18-inchers -- an inch larger than the standard JUKE's, and their spokes are sprayed a two-tone gray to go with the three available body colors -- black, white and silver. This is a serious racer, so no pretty shades, although the deep Sapphire Black of my test car was handsome in a manly way.<br />
<br />
Inside, everything is geared to giving the driver an in-control feeling. The deeply bolstered, suede-covered buckets hold you in place. They feature NISMO badging embroidered into the seatbacks and red stitching. The ceiling is black, and there are soft sueded door panels, and piano black accents on the dash. The panels themselves have a round, "inflated" look, so despite the appearance of intense racing, there's a pleasant, comfortable feel sitting there. And, of course, there are more red accents, including a red section at the top of the leather and alcantara-wrapped steering wheel--a racing tradition of showing "top dead center" at a glance to busy drivers.<br />
<br />
My tester had the Navigation Package ($1,170), which included a small-screen Nav system that I was able to confuse for a while while descending a parking lot ramp. The Rockford Fosgate ecoPUNCH premium audio had plenty of bass response, thanks to a subwoofer, but working its small screen took some care. Once I had my favorite XM and FM stations programmed in, I controlled everything from the fully-featured wheel.<br />
<br />
NISMO is a performance-driven organization, so there are some real enhancements to the JUKE wearing the NISMO badge. The suspension, steering and transmission are adjusted for a sportier feel. In addition, the I-CON system lets you select Normal, Sport or Eco settings. Normal is fine for all driving, but Sport adjusts the steering for quicker response, firms up the road feel and with the automatic, adjusts the shift feel. I found myself in Normal most of the time and even that setting is more sporty than a standard Juke.<br />
<br />
The JUKE NISMO carries a 1.6-liter direct injected inline four-cylinder engine under its bulging hood. It puts out 197 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque for the NISMO, The standard JUKE has 188 and 177 respectively. Direct injection is a fuel delivery technology that enhance engine performance and is becoming more common in the auto industry today, as manufacturers look for ways to maximize performance of smaller engines, so they can use them raise fuel economy.<br />
<br />
The NISMO folks lowered the car an inch -- it's not only more hunkered-down looking but that creates a tighter fit between the wheels and wheelwells, for better aerodynamics. <br />
<br />
JUKE NISMOs come with either front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual (like my test car) or all-wheel drive and the XTronic continuously-variable automatic.Manual shifting is more fun, in my opinion, but, as always, it's a bit more of a chore in commute traffic. The lever moves precisely so I never caught the wrong gear.<br />
<br />
Regarding fuel economy, the manual version is rated slightly higher than the AWD with auto (probably because of the additional weight of the automatic): 25 City, 31 Highway, and 27 Combined. I averaged 28.9 mpg during my test week. That is not the highest fuel economy a compact hatchback can deliver, but the JUKE NISMO is not your ordinary little car. The EPA gives it a 5 for Smog and 7 for Greenhouse Gas -- a little better than average.<br />
<br />
It's fun to take this little car around. At just under a ton and a half, it stays pretty smooth on the freeway, despite its short 99.9-inch wheelbase. It sticks nicely in the turns, and hums along with the 1.6-liter on the boil. Even nicer, it's highly practical, too, and takes in a tall upright bass with no problem, sliding easily along its flat, carpeted cargo hold. In the FWD models, there's hidden storage under the cargo area, too.<br />
<br />
It's hard to find complaints. My wife wasn't keen on having to climb into the deeply-bolstered passenger seat. The sunvisors are short when used on the side (and don't slide). The XM Radio listings are truncated so you can't see the year of most songs on the oldies channels. That's about it, though.<br />
<br />
Pricing for NISMO-equipped JUKEs starts at $23,780 for the FWD/manual models, and $26,080 for the AWD/automatic version. Just for comparison, the base S model JUKE (which comes only with the CVT automatic) is $19,780.<br />
<br />
In the highly-competitive auto industry, it's essential to distinguish your products from the others -- in the right way. Nissan has some "interesting" styling, and the JUKE NISMO has the fun factor dialed up high. You don't need to spend a lot to own a little piece of the racetrack, and get nearly 30 miles per gallon as you race around your neighborhood.<br />
<br />
Read about the standard JUKE <a href="http://testdrivinglife.blogspot.com/2012/12/nissan-juke-is-designed-for-play.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-38817972108570946202013-10-21T22:25:00.003-07:002013-10-21T22:26:01.522-07:00Lexus ES 300h or Toyota Avalon -- Which Hybrid to Choose?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin12qMieK1eetJCI36vZ7OCCpX0Y1TcmFnUkXYRW1dyreuALejaxy8OiZzzJdHn2KZmZ7hr0ixalW4iCFms4hgkhgdqFPONzghBewoAC_xcFe_Bgx0v1-1BIj3qqmft8l7hO5oyQAWB6I/s1600/2013_Lexus_ES_300h_003_44491_2524_low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin12qMieK1eetJCI36vZ7OCCpX0Y1TcmFnUkXYRW1dyreuALejaxy8OiZzzJdHn2KZmZ7hr0ixalW4iCFms4hgkhgdqFPONzghBewoAC_xcFe_Bgx0v1-1BIj3qqmft8l7hO5oyQAWB6I/s320/2013_Lexus_ES_300h_003_44491_2524_low.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's a well kept secret in the auto industry that many car are based on shared platforms For example, until recently, at GM, it was common for a Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Chevrolet to share what was under the slightly different sheet metal. Chrysler marketed separate Plymouth, Dodges and Chrysler minivans. Today, even companies share, for example the recent Subaru BRZ and Toyota FR-S sports coupe collaboration. <br />
<br />
In any case, one easy way to create a luxury car is to take a regular one and load it with extra features. The Lexus ES was one of the two original Lexus vehicles that debuted nearly a quarter century ago. It was a slightly nicer Toyota Camry. Today's sixth-generation ES is not a Camry sibling, but it does have a lot in common with Toyota's new flagship, the Avalon. I had the unusual opportunity of test driving them back-to-back, which made their differences and similarities stand out.<br />
<br />
Lexus has earned its luxury credentials now, so my expectations were high. My Deep Sea Mica <a href="http://www.lexus.com/models/ES/hybrid/" target="_blank">ES 300h</a> arrived looking premium. The new grille design, known around the industry as the "spindle" look, gives the face a more aggressive appearance. This overt styling is helping to distinguish the brand, surely, putting memories of the old laid-back, restrained Lexus of yore into the dim past. <br />
<br />
Over the last few years, Lexus has developed a look that's sleek and edgy, and now the ES floats in the center of this balance, and looks right. Without trying to sound like an advertising copywriter, it's beyond the ordinary. And that's just on the outside.<br />
<br />
Inside, the ES is clean and subtle, with matte metallic trim, simple seams in the leather-wrapped chairs, and "wood" trim that looks thick and applied rather than integrated. It feels gracious as well as spacious. Sitting in there provides blessed isolation from other cars, sound, the road, and any unpleasantness. The steering wheel gives you wood at the top and lower sides, with leather where you grip, if you're using the proper 9 and 3 hand position.<br />
<br />
It's all fully realized, including the two console cupholders that are both covered and out of sight until you need them. Even the way you handle information is genteel and understated. Down along the center console is a firm resting spot for your wrist, with a small joystick ahead of it. Use it to navigate the console-mounted screen. It's not a problem to seek out areas of interest, since the cursor tends to seek out and stick to different rectangles and squares on the screen. Once you get accustomed to it, it's easier than trying to reach out with an extended arm and touch a spot as you cruise along.<br />
<br />
The hybrid version of the ES 300, the h model, shares its drivetrain with the Toyota Avalon Hybrid, despite a huge difference in styling and design. The two cars are very close in size and weight, both riding on the same 111-inch wheelbase, although the Lexus is 2.5 inches shorter nose to tail, half an inch narrower and .4 inches lower. Its luxury accommodations give it a 75-pound weight penalty. Its trunk is nearly two cubic feet smaller, too although I'm not sure why.<br />
<br />
The real difference between these two cars may be philosophical. It certainly isn't financial. When all was said and done, these two highly comfortable, luxury-filled, premium sedans came out less than $1,000 apart. The Lexus cost $940 more. That's barely more than the shipping charge.<br />
<br />
So, why pick one over the other? Toyota makes Corollas--the most popular car ever made. It's the car of the people--unpretentious, unspoiled, neither a slug or a rocket. Toyota makes pickup trucks. Toyota sells a lot of cars, to a lot of differenc kinds of people. Driving one says, I deserve a good car but I'm not a show-off.<br />
<br />
Lexus has been competing with Mercedes-Benz since the day the LS full-size sedan arrived wearing the German maker's clothes. It was a Benz at a discount and a lot of people went for it, beginning the new brand that's a known quantity today.<br />
<br />
Both of these hybrids take about 8 seconds zero to 60 with their matching hybrid powerplants. With official U.S. Government fuel economy numbers of 40 City, 39 Highway, and 39 overall, I got 37.1 miles per gallon in the Lexus. The week before, the Toyota Avalon delivered 37.9 mpg. That's close.<br />
<br />
So, why buy a Lexus instead of a Toyota? You get to visit the Lexus dealership for service, probably a good thing. Keeps you from rubbing shoulders with those annoying owners of 20th-century hatchbacks. I don't know if service is more expensive, but I would expect it is. Surely they have finer coffee in their more richly-decorated waiting rooms, too. Neither Toyotas nor Lexi are known for needing much dealer attention, anyway.<br />
<br />
Where the 300h goes soft and subtle, the Avalon blings. The Avalon dash features lots of plastic chrome trim, which can be challenging when the sun hits it. It's overtly styled, which gives Toyota something to get excited about, and also a way of being un Lexus like. The ride, handling, and quiet are remarkably even.<br />
<br />
My test ES 300h came to $45,159, from a base price of $38,850. It had Blind Spot Monitoring, with Cross Traffic Alert, a worthwhile feature that it shares with, yes, the Avalon. It also had the navigation system package that upgraded the entire electronic interface. Hard to believe, but the heated front seats were an add-on--you'd think they'd be standard in a Lexus. Intuitive Parking assist helps you avoid hitting or scraping anything when you're forced to get close and personal with other drivers.<br />
<br />
How would you choose between these two cars? Who are you trying to impress? Are you a shiny or a matte finish kind of person? How close is the Toyota or the Lexus dealership to you? Maybe you should just test both and then decide.<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-82500814498045418172013-10-13T12:05:00.003-07:002013-10-15T08:31:14.927-07:00Toyota Avalon Hybrid - Luxury Plus High MPG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoiU_LBDP_MhegNhFsrSDQsdSgH7XIlP8NlFZw-cqs8Lu3LpVFFu6EIbFpQKv1uQMyxsVJJLzC1YclAAIn7cZLirqkmvEdPY-CKEU2OFHC0DAdnpBWB-1J9uVAAqrAKTq11E-B8H3qy8/s1600/AvalonHybirdA4246_44839_2524_low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoiU_LBDP_MhegNhFsrSDQsdSgH7XIlP8NlFZw-cqs8Lu3LpVFFu6EIbFpQKv1uQMyxsVJJLzC1YclAAIn7cZLirqkmvEdPY-CKEU2OFHC0DAdnpBWB-1J9uVAAqrAKTq11E-B8H3qy8/s320/AvalonHybirdA4246_44839_2524_low.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Millions of people drive Toyota Camrys, but what if you're looking for something a little more premium, but not quite a Lexus? Well, the <a href="http://www.toyota.com/avalon/#!/avalonhybridwelcome" target="_blank">Avalon </a>has been around for nearly twenty years offering an alternative.<br />
<br />
The 2013 model marks the fourth generation of Toyota's premium midsizer, and it is about as all-new as a car could be. Criticized for blandness, Toyota's designers now are seeking more evocative styling in all their products, so the new Avalon wears the corporate regalia in its entirety. The face has a slim band of chrome up top, sort of an eagle face, with a large mouth below to bring in the air needed to feed either a 3.5-liter V6 or a 2.5-liter 4 for the Hybrid model. The sides wear a definite ridge that grows out of the extended headlamp pods and proceeds all the way back to meet the slim taillamps. Nothing is flat or boring or subtle here. It's arguably the best looking Avalon ever.<br />
<br />
Inside, you can't help but notice the significant serving of chrome-looking plastic that surrounds the dash screens. Compared to Lexus models, this is almost gaudy, but I'll have to admit that it grew on me during the week-long test of my Magnetic Gray Metallic test car, with its black interior. Almond and gray are alternative interior shades that are meant to evoke different moods (sounds a little like Audi).<br />
<br />
Something new about this Avalon is the nearly button-free interior. That means that most functions on the center console are touch-sensitive spots rather than moving plastic rectangles or circles. I first noticed this trend in the Chevrolet Volt and it's proliferating. It makes interacting with the car more like using a cell phone. As long as you tap the right spot, you're good. You still get good old-fashioned knobs for volume and tuning the sound system, although once you're used to the steering wheel controls you rarely use them. <br />
<br />
You can pick the regular Avalon in four levels, or, to save significantly on fuel, the Hybrid. It comes in three levels: XLE Premium, XLE Touring, and Limited. My Hybrid Limited tester had everything a person could want, from a powerful JBL audio system to three-zone climate control (rear passengers can choose their own settings), to the premium leather seating that was soft in a good way and felt like an old Mercedes--plush but broken-in.<br />
<br />
The real deal with hybrids is how they integrate a smaller engine with an electric motor. In this case, Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system combines an Atkinson Cycle 156-horsepower four-cylinder engine with the motor to generate 200 total horsepower. The Atkinson Cycle postpones closure of the engine's intake valves, which delays the compression cycle, improving engine efficiency. <br />
<br />
Compared to the Prius, which is purely a hybrid and is not meant as a luxury car, the Avalon is heavier (3,585 pounds) so you won't get 50 mpg. But, the EPA gives the car 40 City, 39 Highway, for 40 combined. I got 37.9 mpg during a busy week with lots of trips, so it's not that far off. The system reports your mileage for each trip when you turn off the car, so I noted commutes where I went over 40 mpg. It's nice to know that you can get to work using 3/4 gallon of gas.<br />
<br />
The Avalon uses Toyotas sharp, colorful display screens, so I was able to track when the car was using the motor or the engine--or both. And, you can see when it's charging the battery, which a good hybrid always does when you slow down or brake. This kind of information helps you drive more efficiently.<br />
<br />
You can select the ECO setting to enhance your fuel conservation, but it makes the accelerator pedal less responsive and reduces air conditioner cooling to do it. Conversely, select the Sport setting and throw economy to the wind and have fun. This setting even tightens up the steering response. I tended to leave it in the normal setting. Select EV Mode at low speeds and you may even drive full electric for up to a mile (great in parking lots).<br />
<br />
Of course, the EPA likes Hybrids. The Avalon gets a 7 for Smog--that 2.5-liter gas engine does need to run at least part of the time--but the Greenhouse Gas score is a perfect 10. <br />
<br />
The Avalon has been significantly upgraded in numerous ways this year to make it handle and feel better on the road. This includes things like a 12-percent stiffer unibody and improving the feel of the electronic steering system. The overall effect from the driver's seat is a very smooth, quiet and pleasant trip wherever you're going. From a non-technical point of view, the car simply goes where you point it and soon you forget about it.<br />
<br />
The very enjoyable JBL sound system, easily accessed either though the touch screen or the steering wheel controls, keeps your mood up in the daily commute. When there's a break in traffic, you can get from zero to 60 in about 8 seconds--not bad for a car with a small engine and a motor.<br />
<br />
The Avalon is packed with high-tech features, suiting its top tier position in Toyota's lineup. For example, it not only has a Blind Spot Monitor to let you know about cars you can't see in your mirrors, but it also features the Rear Cross Traffic Alert. The car warns you of other vehicles approaching from the side behind you. This is great when you're backing out of your driveway or leaving a parking spot in a public garage. I definitely heard beeping when I was doing this--so it works. <br />
<br />
Prices can be scary for hybrid vehicles, especially ones that are loaded with everything imaginable. They start at $36,350 for the XLE Premium and top out at $42,195 for the Limited (including shipping). My tester also included the Technology Package, which enhanced the already loaded vehicle with radar cruise control (follow the car in front), automatic high beams, and a pre-collision system. The latter warns you if you're approaching another car or object too quickly. Bottom line--$44,199 for my car.<br />
<br />
It's great to see Toyotas get better looking and inclusive of every possible feature. However, you could shop the Lexus showroom too for $44,000. I tested a Lexus 300h Hybrid after the Toyota and, for about the same money, it offered a different experience, although it was a bit smaller. Toyota may be competing with itself here, but you win either way. <br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-14950911421533375772013-10-06T11:07:00.000-07:002013-10-06T11:09:04.249-07:00MINI Paceman - Amazing but Be Careful With It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFawLOH9Pe5FOHNJk-neLWXoWyB1P0U1cWL7MqNnwVF7SftOOv516KaB4cSJUlcgZULh1Rn3PytIP3PJoZZjqaVzvZ56fcdqd2Ovb7DSzPLJ4Kc5KFa65hGVw6EY_gdhSEfOBNXd6TgHg/s1600/MINI_Paceman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFawLOH9Pe5FOHNJk-neLWXoWyB1P0U1cWL7MqNnwVF7SftOOv516KaB4cSJUlcgZULh1Rn3PytIP3PJoZZjqaVzvZ56fcdqd2Ovb7DSzPLJ4Kc5KFa65hGVw6EY_gdhSEfOBNXd6TgHg/s320/MINI_Paceman.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
MINI has been a bit hit since its revival under the direction of owners BMW. The little retro hardtop, which arrived in the U.S. for the 2002 model year, pretty much created the premium small car segment here. Since then, the brand has expanded its range to a multiplicity of choices, the most recent being the <a href="http://www.miniusa.com/content/miniusa/en/model/paceman.html" target="_blank">Paceman</a>.<br />
<br />
This new three-door hatchback is based on the Countryman four-door small crossover SUV, which is a slightly larger-bodied car built in a different plant, in Graz, Austria, that supplements the regular MINI line. Other MINIs are built in England as they have been since the original microscopic hatchback that debuted in1959.<br />
<br />
The Paceman drops two doors, and some practicality, as a sacrifice to style, although it does retain that handy hatchback. That rear door opens when you press and open up the MINI logo on the tailgate, in the same way the VW Beetle has done since its revival in 1998.<br />
<br />
As a longtime MINI enthusiast, I've watched MINIs grow and proliferate, and have tested some of them along the way, including a <a href="http://testdrivinglife.blogspot.com/2013/07/mini-cooper-for-pure-fun-of-driving.html" target="_blank">plain hardtop last July</a>. I hungered for my time in a Paceman, and finally got the opportunity for a week with a Starlight Blue example. I was very excited, and I snapped a photo of it as soon as the car arrived to use as my iPhone lock screen photo, to keep the beloved car near me (that's the photo I used here). However, my week with the car was not sheer bliss, as fine as the car is.<br />
<br />
For one thing, despite its familiar MINI design cues, the car is significantly larger than the hardtop. It's 5.4 inches longer, 5.5 inches higher, and 4 inches wider, on a 5.1-inch larger wheelbase. Most telling, it weighs 400 pounds more, too. So, you can't expect as nimble handling as the original hatchback, and using the same engines, performance will not be as thrilling.<br />
<br />
My tester had the turbocharged engine, as a Cooper S, so there were 181 horses on tap. My tester also had an automatic transmission, which, while working quickly and efficiently, was not the same as a clutch and manual, even with the steering-wheel-mounted paddles. These paddles, by the way, allowed up and down shifting on each side, rather than splitting it left/right. I think the 121-horsepower standard engine might be a bit overworked in this 2,940-pound vehicle.<br />
<br />
The EPA gives the Paceman with turbo engine and automatic a rating of 23 City, 30 Highway, or 26 mpg overall. I averaged 25.2 mpg, which is about as close as I've gotten to the EPA's numbers recently. The green scores are 5 for Smog and 7 for Greenhouse Gas, or better than average, but not as good as the hardtop, which also boasts 6 for Smog and 8 for Greenhouse Gas, along with 29 City, 37 Highway, 32 Combined fuel economy with a manual.<br />
<br />
I wasn't disappointed with the performance, certainly, as the flat cornering, quick steering and feeling of quickness and control were all there. I did find that there were a few annoyances, however, that surprised. me. For one thing, with its upright windshield, the normal sunvisor would cover just a fraction of the side window, so MINI supplies a special left side visor, which replaces the grab handle. However, the visor folds down and covers only about an extra inch or two of window. My face got baked on my morning and afternoon commutes, and there was nothing I could do about it. I designed an extendible visor in my mind, and if I owned the car, would look into something like that.<br />
<br />
Also bothersome is that I was unable to get the rear seats to fold flat. I used the car to take my bass to rehearsal, and it fit in there just fine, but if I were sliding boxes in it would be disappointing. I didn't see any way to make them fold flat, even consulting the owner's manual.<br />
<br />
The MINI interiors are fanciful, fun to look at, seemingly well made, but sometimes frustrating to use. I do enjoy using the toggle buttons for things like the lights and sunroof, but in noticed that this car actually had door-mounted window switches--the first MINI I recall with them. However, the playful, Disney-inspired cockpit puts lots of tiny buttons low on the center panel, which makes you take your eyes off the road to use them.<br />
<br />
There's a little joy stick controller in the floor-mounted center console for operating the dash-mounted information panel, and with some practice, I was able to do things like select radio stations or make climate control adjustments without looking. Funny that the huge 8-inch-diameter center-mounted speedometer, to accommodate this info panel, floats it awkwardly in the center of the gauge, making me think of "round peg, square hole." This may be addressed in the next generation cars.<br />
<br />
I wished every road was a curving back road when I had this car. My time out there was bliss, and the car really shone. In commute traffic, being taller and bigger than a MINI hardtop gave the Paceman more comfort and road presence, so that was good, too. Flip the Sport button and the steering tightens up, the shifts are delayed, and you feel even more like you're piloting a sports car.<br />
<br />
Another issue: I slammed my hand in the door one night, mysteriously. I later figured out that the door fools you. The window and interior panels are one size, but the door cut from the outside arcs around several inches, with a wide swath of two metal panels only. It tricked me. While entirely unnecessary and kind of phony, this door cut gives the right roundy, friendly MINI look -- but beware.<br />
<br />
MINI's philosophy includes being "different" and it certainly is in so many ways. One feature is the ability to customize your car more widely than most other vehicles. Not only can you add things, but you can choose between options at no additional cost. So, besides picking between engines, transmissions, two- or all-wheel Drive and interior and exterior colors, you can choose different seat fabrics, order contrasting or body-color mirrors and roof, put the Union Jack on your mirrors, add chrome trim inside and/or outside, and even change the color of your turn signal lenses (see below). <br />
<br />
My test car is a great example of what happens when you check a lot of boxes on the order sheet, and it's reflected in what would become my final complaint -- the price. As equipped, my MINI Paceman came to $39,800. How did it get to that astounding figure?<br />
<br />
The base price of a Paceman is $24,000, including shipping. That seems pretty reasonable, especially with the smaller hardtop starting at $20,400. If you want the turbo S model, make that $27,800. Adding all-wheel drive pushes it to $29,300.<br />
<br />
Yes, that leaves another $10,500, and here's how it adds up:<br />
<ul>
<li>Starlight Blue paint $ 500</li>
<li>Leather interior 1,500</li>
<li>Cold Weather Package 750</li>
<li>Navigation system/Bluetooth 1,500</li>
<li>Premium Package 2 (sunroof) 1,250</li>
<li>19" alloy wheels 1,750</li>
<li>Keyless entry 500</li>
<li>Xenon headlamps 500</li>
<li>Satellite Radio/1 year sub. 250</li>
<li>Harmon/Kardon premium sound 750</li>
<li>White turn signal lenses 100</li>
</ul>
<br />
There it is -- the $40,000 MINI Paceman.<br />
<br />
My feelings about the car varied over the test week. It's so fun to drive, interesting to look at (with the latest MINI design cues, sure to proliferate into the new 2015 hardtop), and filled with interconnectivity and information. I really like the big P A C E M A N letters across the tail. I enjoy the feeling of being in a MINI on the road. But for $40,000, can't you buy a real BMW?<br />
<br />
My Paceman (I'd still consider buying one, despite my affection for the smaller Clubman) would include the turbo engine (S level), Satellite Radio (a virtual necessity for commuters) and possibly the Navigation/Bluetooth. I'd skip the all-wheel drive. With those features only, I might be looking at a $30,000 MINI, which is much more like it. I really liked my tester's Starlight Blue paint, too, but Chili Red and Light White come without the $500 premium.<br />
<br />
MINI is successful, and growing, and there's much fun to be had, but try to restrain yourself when you peruse the option list, and be careful when you close the door.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-1379683034026590522013-09-30T21:27:00.001-07:002013-09-30T21:30:55.331-07:00Cadenza -- a Whole New Kind of Kia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsRUJKILidixzHCvwOpYCbGucuROMOgJfhp11nhq79lA-MrsEZbFieRo-JCIirgPTX7I3pEcLSonN-bxJ6ql4b7EGM84bgN1EXvRFHYkx-eo8t3DYLztEBv27mEn5qQCWogtjI5OT_HU/s1600/Kia_Cadenza_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsRUJKILidixzHCvwOpYCbGucuROMOgJfhp11nhq79lA-MrsEZbFieRo-JCIirgPTX7I3pEcLSonN-bxJ6ql4b7EGM84bgN1EXvRFHYkx-eo8t3DYLztEBv27mEn5qQCWogtjI5OT_HU/s320/Kia_Cadenza_14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
If you've been following Kia over the last 20 years, you remember those first cars. I tested a 1994 Sephia and it was pretty basic. It had everything you needed but absolutely nothing extra. It felt like a knock-off previous-generation Toyota Corolla. However, unlike the Hyundai Excel a decade earlier, it wasn't really bad. It was just plain.<br />
<br />
Well, of course, we all know the story. Over the years, Kia's models not only proliferated but improved significantly with each generation. Now, it's time for Kia to introduce their "Lexus." It's called the <a href="http://www.kia.com/us/#/cadenza" target="_blank">Cadenza</a>, and a fine flagship it is.<br />
<br />
There's no compromise here. There is exactly one model -- Premium. It's big and it's beautiful. And, it's full of all the good stuff -- standard. You get a navigation system and a 550-watt Infinity stereo with 12 speakers, including subwoofer. You sit on leather seats and hold a beautiful leather and wood wheel, bask in full climate control, and much more.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8JZTr25OsQCtZtabIlBxjFKj6hqcnY3xcwzjkHSHO7i33g1hyIlXMfzly1oyz7zlQZL_qDOyIkhJoni4sXde-UdcQADBE_teKqjfStZIYuUp6gW6YLXYcoH7uJSrMOR-Fo_aYrDmdS4/s1600/1994_Kia_Sephia-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8JZTr25OsQCtZtabIlBxjFKj6hqcnY3xcwzjkHSHO7i33g1hyIlXMfzly1oyz7zlQZL_qDOyIkhJoni4sXde-UdcQADBE_teKqjfStZIYuUp6gW6YLXYcoH7uJSrMOR-Fo_aYrDmdS4/s320/1994_Kia_Sephia-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1994 Kia Sephia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Cadenza is motivated by a 3.3-liter V6 that puts out 293 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque under the shapely hood, all driven through a six-speed automatic with SportMatic manual paddle shifters. Yet, it drinks regular gas. The EPA gives it ratings of 19 City, 28 Highway, and 22 Combined. I averaged 19.5 mpg. The EPA Green scores are 5 for Smog and Greenhouse Gas -- midpack.<br />
<br />
It's a great thing that Peter Schreyer, the former Audi designer, is in charge of how Kias look. When I parked my Smokey Blue Cadenza test car next to my wife's Liquid Blue Metallic Audi, you could see some similarities. The proportions are just right, neither boring nor overstyled. While the German brands today are abandoning their formerly conservative, handsome look for something more exuberant, the Cadenza wears the look of a classic BMW, Audi or Mercedes. It looks expensive.<br />
<br />
Inside, the car lives up to its impressive body, with the right look and feel. The heated steering wheel has the top third of wood, the rest leather. It's always fun to turn a steering wheel and have a different-feeling handful. It is definitely a luxury touch. Everything is there, including an illuminated console bin, sumptuous leather seating, and the perfect blend of textures and materials. <br />
<br />
My tester featured both of the two available option packages. In case the standard amenities aren't enough for you, order the Technology Package and get Advanced Smart Cruise Control, where you can follow the car in front at a set distance (and automatically slow down when that driver does). You also get Blind Spot Detection, a popular feature that probably prevents hundreds of accidents every day. This package includes "Hydrophobic" front door windows, which stay clear when the rain hits them. I wasn't able to test that feature, thanks to some fine late summer weather.<br />
<br />
The Luxury Package fills in what the standard package lacks. Get a panoramic sunroof, upgraded leather trim, a ventilated driver's seat with electric seat cushion extension, and an electric rear sunshade. The Supervision meter cluster performs a little light show when
you turn on the car. The number dividers for the speedometer shoot out
from the center of the gauge and assemble along the ring of the meter. I
never got tired of watching the show. An image of the car winks its
headlamps at you, as if to say "Hi." There's a little musical tune,
too. <br />
<br />
It wouldn't be a great car if after all that equipment, it was a bore to drive. Luckily, it's not. The 3,668-pound car drives like it's lighter, yet sails happily along the freeway in cruise mode. The sport-tuned suspension, along with the 19-inch wheels and tires from the Technology Package made the car feel planted and ready for anything.<br />
<br />
My car, as a benefit of containing these packages, had the optional white leather interior and no extra cost. You don't see those every day, and I'm sure you'd want to take care with it, but it illuminated the cabin and felt very posh.<br />
<br />
With the packages, this car really has everything you could want. I was sure there must be some flaw, and I did find one tiny problem. I set the otherwise divine audio system to NOT change volume with road speed, but it insisted on doing it anyway, so I worked the knob a bit when commute traffic speed varied. But that's it.<br />
<br />
The price is $35,900, including shipping, for the single model. Add in the two packages and you'll be at $41,900. That may be the only problem the Cadenza will have to solve. Are there enough buyers for a $42,000 Kia? I think if enough people actually sample the car, after their disbelief fades they may see their way to signing some papers and participating in the remarkable Kia success story.Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-72140616080134345142013-09-29T12:09:00.002-07:002013-09-30T20:37:00.518-07:00Doors and Sardines -- Noises Off Opens in San Leandro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2dyizKSCVSMPKiJou4lo2I0qvuAqvLcHJV8Ow35_qhL7TbIkUpo5We0XS4g7Y1-_zLggGQc_v9DAAQw1JAw7j65BZAnL7S3wQ2HgLWyYcd49t-BbooyCbQD5KwjYb56i_j5ZcwV-ITA/s1600/noises-off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2dyizKSCVSMPKiJou4lo2I0qvuAqvLcHJV8Ow35_qhL7TbIkUpo5We0XS4g7Y1-_zLggGQc_v9DAAQw1JAw7j65BZAnL7S3wQ2HgLWyYcd49t-BbooyCbQD5KwjYb56i_j5ZcwV-ITA/s320/noises-off.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noises_Off" target="_blank">Noises Off</a>, written in 1982 by English playwright Michael Frayn, is a farce. That's a good thing. But it also means that there's plenty of, well, noise, and pants falling down and axe-wielding and carefully-timed entrances and exits through the multiple doors built into the versatile set. There are many constantly relocating plates of sardines, a theme that works its way through the entire evening. There's a pretty lady in her underwear during much of the play. Someone sits on a cactus -- and you see it placed on the chair at center stage and know that a cast member is going to hurt themselves before long. <br />
<br />
The production is a play within a play in three acts (all of them called Act 1). We get to see the first act of the production of <i>Nothing On</i>, performed within <i>Noises Off</i>, three times. The first is the dress rehearsal just hours before the first performance. Lines are missed, blocking is still awkward, and tension is high. We meet the actors and director in Noises Off and we see them as the performers in Nothing On. They step in and out of character, and prepare the audience to be ready for an evening of hilarity but one that will require us to pay attention so we can remember who's speaking when an actor opens his or her mouth.<br />
<br />
Cute: There's a program-within-a-program for <i>Nothing On</i>, complete with humorous cast biographies.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTTqvCXFXPllYVKnneFMW0oGZD_Ra6A_2FnObpG3BbwinBtmfkIcP_aHFm9gH8U1TZsAHsVLQErd3RnaMQcgqyMkvHz0aN8M74shD-wV-IaR74aVbIjMiKNZ3VJKoWItigwaZhK-v5k0/s1600/CCPA+Fall+Main+Stage_NOISES+OFF_Cast_Email.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTTqvCXFXPllYVKnneFMW0oGZD_Ra6A_2FnObpG3BbwinBtmfkIcP_aHFm9gH8U1TZsAHsVLQErd3RnaMQcgqyMkvHz0aN8M74shD-wV-IaR74aVbIjMiKNZ3VJKoWItigwaZhK-v5k0/s320/CCPA+Fall+Main+Stage_NOISES+OFF_Cast_Email.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The second Act One gives us a view from behind the scenes a month into the 10-week run. The staging again takes place in the country home of the Brents (who are sneaking back from out of the country, where they have gone for tax purposes). However, in the dark between scenes, the actors have literally rotated the set 180 degrees, so we now see the backside of the stage, and against it, the dark underside of life in the theater. It's who's dating whom, who's mad at whom, who's bored, who's tired, who's gossiping about whom. We learn that all of the doors open to a common space.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the play, to which we've already been introduced in the first Act One, proceeds out of our sight. Listen carefully, and you'll hear the same parts, but, of course, not delivered in exactly the same way, with comic results. It's really yet another play starring the actors of <i>Noises Off</i> taking place behind-the-scenes of <i>Nothing On</i>.<br />
<br />
The third Act One shows us the complete breakdown of the production in a performance near the end of the run. We're looking at the Brents' living room again, but it's a very weary cast, and the hilarity ensues when we see how each actor (in the inner and outer play) copes with the mess. There are some surprises worthy of Monty Python -- and Bugs Bunny. Most fascinating to me is how some <i>Nothing On</i> actors can improvise -- perhaps too well -- and others can't get away from playing the part exactly, even when it's ridiculously inappropriate. This got big laughs. <br />
<br />
Director Erik Scanlon, in his <i>Note </i>on the inside cover of the program, compares this kind of wild farce to Looney Tunes cartoons, and it's true. The manic energy, carefully timed comings and goings, loud noises and pratfalls are here done with people, not animated characters, but it's the same feeling. Anything can happen, and probably will.<br />
<br />
There's a third level in this play -- the actors themselves. In these conditions it may be hard to separate the real person from the two actor parts each must play on the stage. Certainly it's an energetic and likeable cast, including local veterans, mostly younger actors. From Row 4, Seat K, it was easy to hear and to understand their delivery. It must be a challenge to have to act as an actor and as an actor performing as an actor (do you follow me here?), especially when the performers in <i>Nothing on</i> are meant, like the Rude Mechanicals in Shakespeares's <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i>, to be hilariously incompetent. The rodeo clown must be the best rider and roper, remember.<br />
<br />
I had a chance to speak with several cast members after the show, and they were gracious, funny, and, well, exhausted. They were also, being pros, nothing like the roles they played in either play. I may have to attend the final performance to see if they, like the cast of <i>Nothing On</i>, have fallen apart too (somehow I expect that they won't). <br />
<br />
<i>Noises Off </i> is the latest production at the Curtain Call Performing Arts Theater at 999 East 14th Street in downtown San Leandro, California. <i>CCPA's vision is to ensure that performance-based arts are accessible to everyone who desires to participate or attend performances by keeping ticket prices low and class/workshop tuition affordable. </i><br />
<br />
Performances run from the Friday, September 27 show I saw through Saturday, October 26. Shows begin at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights 2 p.m. for Sunday matinees. See <a href="http://www.curtaincallperformingarts.org/" target="_blank">www.curtaincallperformingarts.org</a> for details. Tickets are $25 general admission (with assigned seating) and $22 for students and seniors. The theater is intimate, holding a maximum of 67. There's not a bad seat in the house. <br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-32479456129799910042013-09-25T22:26:00.001-07:002013-09-25T22:26:27.182-07:00Mitsubishi Outlander - Another Choice in a Crowded Marketplace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTq3QWhvpymhmApY2Zr94-e12geTBrORagQ88KlwqpRB3kwUcvx7dHRw2ni6dzy0SlBAewJxA0TbNDRY6u3LOkc776Iz-ThypMhGtLOfCo8m__oqpoMMboruzHt5Y00NETM5UwMTGF4bg/s1600/2014OutlanderSD_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTq3QWhvpymhmApY2Zr94-e12geTBrORagQ88KlwqpRB3kwUcvx7dHRw2ni6dzy0SlBAewJxA0TbNDRY6u3LOkc776Iz-ThypMhGtLOfCo8m__oqpoMMboruzHt5Y00NETM5UwMTGF4bg/s1600/2014OutlanderSD_03.jpg" /></a></div>
Experts predict around 16 million car sales this year. Many of those will be crossover SUVs; that category includes Mitsubishi's thoroughly redesigned <a href="http://www.mitsubishicars.com/MMNA/jsp/outlander/14/showroom/overview.do" target="_blank">Outlander</a>.<br />
<br />
The Outlander follows a pattern in the industry of offering a smaller "sport" model and a larger "regular" model. So the new Outlander follows the Outlander Sport into the world as a new '14 model.<br />
<br />
It certainly looks different from the old car. New styling is softer than some of the more sharply angled designs out today. The shoulder line reminded me of older BMWs, and that may be intentional. The front eschews the gaping mouth of earlier Mitsubishi crossovers and now offers a flush non-functional "grille" at the top and a working portal for air below. The goal, besides distinguishing itself in the showroom, is to improve aerodynamics for better fuel economy. The car boasts a 7 percent improvement in its cd (coefficiency of drag) down to a remarkable .33.<br />
<br />
The package stands well in traffic and your favorite parking place or driveway. My tester arrived in a handsome shade called Copper that glowed like the conductor metal itself. Interesting to me was the presence of the triple-diamond logo and the word "Mitsubishi" on the tidily styled rear. Is the company worried, after all these years in America, that folks won't recognize its famous logo?<br />
<br />
It's true that Mitsubishi has had some hard times. While many savor the performance of the Lancer-based Evolution hot sedan, the latest Galant was a hard sell, and the sporty Eclipse went away. The quirky i-MiEV is not a volume seller. A tiny new Mirage is coming, which may bring some bodies into the showroom, but the real models worth considering today are the Outlander Sport and this new Outlander.<br />
<br />
Inside, materials are hugely upgraded. The hard, flat bucket seat, nicely leather-wrapped, sits up high, so you can actually see the top of the hood. The wipers are hidden, so looking out, you see a clean line at the rear hood edge, and closer in, a straightforward black and silver instrument panel and dash that wouldn't look out of place in a Volkswagen. Piano black trim gleams while "woodgrain" upgrades the doors.<br />
<br />
All controls are mounted high and are easily accessible. The instrument panel greets you when you push the start button, and says "See You," when you turn the car off. Friendly. I wasn't happy that the visors don't slide along the side to block sun during significant trips south in the morning and north in the late afternoon. The air conditioning is a little too energetic in its work, and the car felt cold a lot, but overall, it's a happy place to be in the driver's seat.<br />
<br />
It's very quiet inside the car, thanks to increased insulation throughout. It's easy to enjoy the music system--in the case of my car, an optional 710-watt Rockford-Fosgate system with nine speakers, including a 10-inch subwoofer living in the rear compartment behind the third-row seat.<br />
<br />
Speaking of those seats, they all fold flat, but the middle row took some consultation with the owner's manual to figure out how to get then to do it. The control that's visible only folds the seat partly forward and slides it to make room for third-row access. Lift the lower cushion and you'll find a button to allow the seat to fold flat.<br />
<br />
There are two engine choices, and they're tied to model level. The base ES and mid-level SE models get a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder that puts out 166 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque. It offers the MIVEC system (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing Electric Control). That means it adjusts to run more efficiently, which is what all of these midsize crossovers are trying to do to make themselves desirable devices for increasingly green-minded families. A continuously-variable automatic transmission comes with the four-cylinder. <br />
<br />
The Outlander GT, like my tester, employs a larger 3.0-liter V6, which ups the horsepower to 224 horsepower and 215 lb.-ft. of torque. While hardly burning rubber during acceleration, this engine has enough guts to make the Outlander fun to drive anywhere. Fuel economy numbers, officially, are 20 City, 28 Highway and 23 Combined. I averaged 18.9 mpg, and premium fuel is recommended, so this is not the car for the highly environmentally conscious.<br />
<br />
The GT offers a six-speed automatic with a new sixth gear for better fuel economy. The EPA gives numbers of 6 for both Smog and Greenhouse gas, so the Outlander is a bit better than average. <br />
<br />
The GT or SE comes with either two-wheel drive or Super All-Wheel Control four-wheel drive system. Mitsubishi claims (rightly, I'd think) that all their experience winning numerous titles in the World Rally Championship, including several outright wins at the Dakar rally, a legendary tough race. The S-AWC system offers four driving modes - the fuel-efficient AWC ECO, the
standard NORMAL setting, enhanced tractability in slippery conditions
with SNOW and the maximum traction LOCK.<br />
<br />
My GT had the GT Touring Package, which added a lot of stuff, including a usable Navigation system with a 7-inch touch screen; a lane departure warning system that helps keep you awake, adaptive cruise control that syncs to the car in front; a power glass sunroof, leather seats, and that super sound system. As the top dog, it starts at $27,795, but ended up at $34,720. The base ES starts at $23,820, including shipping.<br />
<br />
Mitsubishi has done their homework and come up with a nice vehicle. Combined with the Outlander Sport, it has a one-two punch. But will people look and love it in large enough quantities to make it a sales success? It's always hard to say for sure, but the two Outlanders seem to be making a good name for themselves. If only people take the time to shop around, some will go for this all-new vehicle.<br />
<br />
<br />
Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-83871878816320438752013-09-15T10:08:00.001-07:002013-09-19T16:29:32.699-07:00Hyundai Santa Fe - New, and Now, Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0d0uAXdWx6j1anyMdP9rzYD0xNkz_jrZVtAPEdd9GNOWxyEzppcm-ajddRiCzXIIyrA7MZ1rYxBHTUyJ0OjGmMx6Vjv_ToPsJISM6jWBphyAVEEq0-flVrjtuf_JMZH5HbBBq4V7hnU/s1600/2013_Hyundai_Santa_Fe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0d0uAXdWx6j1anyMdP9rzYD0xNkz_jrZVtAPEdd9GNOWxyEzppcm-ajddRiCzXIIyrA7MZ1rYxBHTUyJ0OjGmMx6Vjv_ToPsJISM6jWBphyAVEEq0-flVrjtuf_JMZH5HbBBq4V7hnU/s320/2013_Hyundai_Santa_Fe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In the car business, part of what makes you successful is good product. The other part is good marketing.<br />
<br />
In Hyundai's case, they seem to be doing well at both. The <a href="https://www.hyundaiusa.com/santa-fe/" target="_blank">2013 Hyundai Santa Fe</a> is a major update of an important model--in a significant segment. But their marketing is what will help move more metal.<br />
<br />
There are now two Santa Fe's -- the midsize crossover SUV is now called the Santa Fe Sport. It has two rows of seating and uses four-cylinder engines. The longer model with three-row seating now sold as just "Santa Fe" used to be called the Veracruz. Remember it? Didn't think so. Hyundai is leveraging brand recognition for it's more popular model, which, like the compact Tucson crossover, is named after a Southwestern city and is helping the company to sales growth year after year.<br />
<br />
The Santa Fe is handsome, wearing the Fluidic Sculpture design that has been so successful in its sedans. It has a prominent, chrome grille up front, as today's vehicles must possess. The lines and folds along the side appeal to the eye and give the body the solid appearance of an iron bar, not an inflated balloon. The 19-inch alloy wheels added road presence. <br />
<br />
Hyundai vehicles, when they first came to America, were obviously not on the level of Toyotas and Hondas, and were certainly not in the ballpark with European luxury vehicles. Today, many Hyundais are built in the U.S. (although this Santa Fe was imported from Korea) and have a look and feel that equals, or even surpasses, those brands. While Honda was cost-cutting a couple of years ago, Hyundai was offering nicer and nicer interiors. Now, the appealing materials, high build quality and sophisticated design are part of what you get when you slide into any Hyundai vehicle. Even the subcompact Accent is a well-turned-out car.<br />
<br />
Like SUVS have been for decades, the Santa Fe stands tall, but it's a crossover. That means it's built on a car platform and has a long, slanting windshield, so the driving experience is more like a tall car than driving a pickup truck with room for 7, as the original Ford Explorer was, for example. This is the norm today.<br />
<br />
My Circuit Gray tester was the upper level Limited model. The GLS is the regular grade. Many of these crossovers today are only front-wheel-drive, since so few actually go offroad. My car was one of them, although you can certainly order one with power that flows to all four wheels if you live in areas where it would be a benefit in the wintertime. In Northern California, it's not an issue. The Hyundai all-wheel-drive system is called Active Cornering AWD, which distributes the torque through a computer program to keep you safely on the road.<br />
<br />
Hyundais have offered lots of features for the money over the years, and features like Driver-Selectable Steering Mode give a nod to Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover. A button on the steering wheel lets you select Comfort, Normal and Sport modes. It changes your driving experience. Comfort might be handy when driving around in town or parking. Normal is fine in all cases, especially on the highway. Sport tightens up everything for more fun on country roads.<br />
<br />
While the lighter Santa Fe Sport does just fine with a 2.4-liter or 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine, the Santa Fe gets a 3.3-liter V6, which puts out a generous 290 horsepower and 252 lb.-ft. of torque through a six-speed automatic. That's comparable horsepower with other midsize crossovers, which tend to offer slightly larger displacement, such as 3.5-liters. The Santa Fe is a little bit lighter than its rivals, and this helps to get it EPA ratings of 18 City, 25 Highway (21 Combined). My actual mileage was 22.7 mpg. The EPA's green scores are a 5 for Smog and Greenhouse Gas - dead center.<br />
<br />
The two-ton Santa Fe, more than 300 pounds lighter than its Veracruz predecessor, moves with alacrity on the highway and gets around town just fine. There's a place in my neighborhood where you have to turn onto a street that immediately climbs up sharply, with a right and left turn, and the Santa Fe felt happy there, not swaying back and forth, with plenty of energy to make the climb without downshifting. Perhaps its Vehicle Stability Management helps in that feeling in control in those circumstances.<br />
<br />
My tester sweetened the deal with the Technology Package ($2,900). That added an enormous panoramic sunroof, with glass along nearly the entire roof, with the front half sliding open. It also included a navigation system--something almost essential these days. It also provided me with an Infinity Logic 7 550-watt Surround Sound audio system that was entertaining during my commute drudgery. A heated steering wheel was there, too, but it being September at the time of my test, it went unused.<br />
<br />
Choices are simple--GLS or Limited and front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Or, opt for the Santa Fe Sport for lower cost and better fuel economy, if you won't need that third row seat, the extra 10 cubic feet of cargo capacity, or the Santa Fe's 5,000 pound towing ability (it's 3,500 lb. with the Sport--and both require trailer brakes). <br />
<br />
The GLS starts at $29,455 and the Limited at $34,205 (both including shipping). My tester, with the technology package, came to $36,980. So don't think "Hyundai" and "cheap" in the same sentence any more. That's competitive pricing, but not lower than rival vehicles. Today, Hyundai competes as an equal, so you have to decide if you like the look, feel, performance, features, and, that great warranty.<br />
<br />
See my <a href="http://youtu.be/tgrgIT8py8k" target="_blank">video review here</a>. <br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-59941098310492450472013-09-11T21:02:00.003-07:002013-09-11T21:02:41.175-07:00Acura RLX Leads the Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaigFinEyyckviS1sFHemloVqCNHz3OV2rSB0UH3yHGwETTVt1Dkj9Wy3DieOAHsYxNtBO_tNaws1jifykFzL5Jk9jy7ZbSJWe_2IOrqxYuL7YvBIiR_7ZSaHlX-DIhy3ZFkJrgv6dDg/s1600/2014-acura-rlx-fd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaigFinEyyckviS1sFHemloVqCNHz3OV2rSB0UH3yHGwETTVt1Dkj9Wy3DieOAHsYxNtBO_tNaws1jifykFzL5Jk9jy7ZbSJWe_2IOrqxYuL7YvBIiR_7ZSaHlX-DIhy3ZFkJrgv6dDg/s320/2014-acura-rlx-fd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The <a href="http://www.acura.com/ModelLanding.aspx?model=RLX" target="_blank">2014 Acura RLX</a> is Honda's premium brand's new flagship. It is the largest Acura sedan ever made, the better to compete with all those other cars hoping for your luxury car dollar. It succeeds the RL, which has sold somewhat slowly.<br />
<br />
Does a midsize luxury sedan have to have a V8? Acura doesn't think so. This new sedan has a slightly smaller 3.5-liter V6 instead of the RL's 3.7-liter, but horsepower is up by 10 to an impressive 310. Torque bumps up by 1 to 272. And more than 90 percent of the engine's peak torque is available between 2,000 and 6,600 rpm, so there's never a slow or hesitant moment behind the wheel. A six-speed automatic is the only transmission offered.<br />
<br />
The new car addresses concerns the RL's problem of being slightly smaller than the competition, and therefore falling off many shopping lists. A two-inch-longer wheelbase provides cavernous rear legroom, and the extra 1.7 inches of width gives those happy rear passengers a little more private space.<br />
<br />
No one can argue that the car isn't attractive, although it is not the kind of vehicle that jumps out at you. Staying subtle, the sharp-edged beak of recent Acuras is banished. In the now more subtle and rounded nose you'll see the Jewel-Eye headlamps, which look a lot like a large anniversary band, flattened into a plane. The sparkling row of lamps illuminates the roadway with a crisp brightness. At the other end, the taillights use periphery LED illumination, which produces a much more defined light than a traditional incandescent bulb.<br />
<br />
Inside, there's all the soft and subtle touches that promote relaxation. I noted leather on the dash, something rarely found in anything short of a Rolls. It's all sweeping and energetic, with black surfaces and brushed-look trim. The leather continues on the seats, armrests, and shift knob. On the steering wheel, the adjustments at 3 and 9 for volume and digital information are little wheels--easy to roll with your thumb to make your selection.<br />
<br />
There's a friendly four-note tone when you start the car and then--silence. The direct-injection engine (Acura's first) sends the car along the freeway like a magic carpet. It's rated at 20 City, 31 Highway, 24 Combined by the EPA, which also bestows a 5 for Smog and a 6 for Greenhouse gas--midpack.<br />
<br />
Acura has promoted its wares as being filled with high-tech, and this remains true. On the trunk is the acronym P-AWS, which sounds like little cat feet but is actually Precision All-Wheel Steer. This system monitors and calculates the correct amount of independent rear-wheel steering (toe angle) necessary for driving conditions. So, you won't see the rear wheels move, but they do help you around corners.<br />
<br />
Another happy acronym is the Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), which scans the road ahead and actively helps you stays in the middle of the lane.<br />
<br />
An upscale and handy feature is Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which lets you set a desired speed <em>and</em>
a distance interval behind the vehicle ahead. This makes it safer to use cruise control in light traffic as well as on the open highway. This system comes with a new Low-Speed Follow
capability, so it still works even when
traffic slows below the speed you set. It will even stop your car if the vehicle ahead is in
range of the system. The next step? Self-driving cars. <br />
<br />
There are five models--all sedans--and all made in Japan. The "base" car is loaded already, and the remaining four levels add something each time. The second level is RLX with navigation, which also gives you a seven-inch color display and AcuraLink. The latter connects your car to a world of communication and entertainment. Level three is the one I tested--RLX with Technology. My Crystal Black Pearl tester added nine items to the second level, including nicer interior leather, great-looking 19-inch alloy wheels, and nifty self-folding outside mirrors. It also gave me the accident-preventing Blind Spot Warning System.<br />
<br />
The last two levels, RLX with Krell Audio and RLX with Advance, pour on the electronics. Krell, a big name in electronics that I've never heard of, puts 14 speakers in its namesake model along with manual and electric sunshades. The Advance, at the top, ventilates the already heated seats and gives you the Collision Mitigating Braking System (CMBS). CMBS helps prevent your hitting someone, working with Forward Collision Warning, which flashes lights if it thinks you're in danger of having an accident.<br />
<br />
It's all very technological, but the driving experience is laid back and effortless. You do get to feel the car when you take it on curving roads, and there's some road feel mixed in. It's not like the land yachts of yore, and I'm grateful for it.<br />
<br />
Prices start at $48,450 for the RLX and move up to $60,450 for the Advance. Add in $895 for delivery. My tester came to $55,345. <br />
<br />
If you're a fan of Honda products and want the nicest, biggest sedan they make, you'll gladly forgo Lexus, Infiniti, and various German and American sedans for this new model. Still hewing to the balanced, restrained look of generations of Honda Accords and the original Acura Legend, it's bigger and better, and will not disappoint.<br />
Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-63411402148076572722013-09-05T08:58:00.002-07:002013-09-05T09:05:02.850-07:00Honda Accord Coupe - The Sportier Smart Choice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguluLkUV0UVLX8k419u9IXSa4j1H1oIIgr775OT_jb66L81D6smHVmLAVpI5EnLYtRBHvt6oD4ieOHievYMkWObdhRLbEGG_UUYRqYAUAW-70IYWcpjUrxDi1yYQzqhL8v3EQSLbXwzy4/s1600/2013-honda-accord-coupe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguluLkUV0UVLX8k419u9IXSa4j1H1oIIgr775OT_jb66L81D6smHVmLAVpI5EnLYtRBHvt6oD4ieOHievYMkWObdhRLbEGG_UUYRqYAUAW-70IYWcpjUrxDi1yYQzqhL8v3EQSLbXwzy4/s320/2013-honda-accord-coupe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The <a href="http://automobiles.honda.com/accord-coupe/" target="_blank">Honda Accord</a> has grown to be one of the pillars of the midsize car market in the U.S. Selling hundreds of thousands of units every year, it serves the needs of people who want room, comfort, reliability, high quality, and anonymity. Let's face it, there are lots of them in any parking lot, in every color.<br />
<br />
While most buyers opt for the familiar and useful four-door configuration, there are those who want a little more sporty look and feel. For them, the coupe is available again in the brand new, ninth-generation Accord.<br />
<br />
While it looks related, the styling is distinctive, and that's the main difference. As a coupe, the car has two long doors, so when you open yours in the parking lot, be careful! The general contours of the face of the car are similar, but the coupe's grille is slimmer and doesn't contain the horizontal bars of the sedan's. The carved side proportions, BMW-like, are similar between the cars as well, but from the center pillar back, the cars share nothing except the Honda logo on the tail. More tapered, the coupe wears chunker taillamps and a bolder rear bumper.<br />
<br />
Both sedan and coupe are slightly smaller for 2013 (a first), but the effect is mixed. The sedan, already much roomier than the coupe, loses nearly three cubic feet of passenger room. The coupe, however, gains 3.5 cubic feet. I was able to put a six-foot-tall man (my son) in the back without complaint, although entry and exit is much easier with the sedan's extra doors. <br />
<br />
Underneath these divergent styling attitudes you'll find the same two engines, a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder and a 3.5-liter V6. As it's been for years, you get to choose between higher fuel economy and faster acceleration. With 185 horsepower, the four has eight more horses than last year's model, and is sufficient for normal driving. If you crave more excitement, opt for the V6, which delivers a heartier 278 horsepower, up 7 from last year.<br />
<br />
Interesting--you can still order up a manual six-speed transmission in some Accord models, sedan or coupe. My test car, in Modern Steel (silver), had the V6 and the manual, and it helped to make the nearly 3,400-pound car feel more sporty than the sedan I tested last year. Of course, sporty isn't much good in commute traffic, but the clutch isn't too heavy and the gear changes are smooth and easy. Pulling away from the freeway entrance lighting system or out in the country, the ability to shift for yourself is welcome.<br />
<br />
The automatics vary by engine. The four gets a new continuously variable transmission (CVT), which replaces the five-speed automatic in the '12 model. This contributes to a three mpg overall fuel economy improvement. The four with automatic rates 26 City, 35 Highway, 29 Overall. The V6 uses a normal six-speed automatic, and achieves 21 City, 32 Highway, and 25 Overall. Yes, a bigger engine uses more gas--a tradeoff you will have to decide for yourself. My test car averaged 23.9 miles per gallon during the test week. The EPA gives the Accord Coupe with V6 a 6 for Smog and 5 for Greenhouse Gas.<br />
<br />
There's an Econ button on the dash. I tried it, and it makes the car less responsive when you press the accelerator. That's less fun, but burns less fuel. As with the engine and transmission choice, you decide.<br />
<br />
Although the new styling is a bit derivative, looking like a BMW and like the cars that also copy BMW's look, it is perhaps the most dramatic interpretation of the Accord, and there's no bad angle. I've seen the coupe in traffic and it has a nice hunkered-down appearance, and is not boring.<br />
<br />
Inside, there's an all-new look and feel. Honda has taken a few lumps for cost-cutting over the last few years, but there is no evidence of that here. Dressed in basic black, there's plenty of silvery trim spread across the doors, dash and console. It will feel familiar to anyone used to Hondas, but seems to borrow some cues from upscale sibling Acura now, with more flow across the surfaces from one panel to the next. The silver slashes on the doors provide a rugged handle to pull the door closed and also a relief from the black plastic surfaces.<br />
<br />
Of course, the requisite display screens are present in the console. The larger one at the top shows audio, navigation, phone, and other features as you use them. A smaller touch screen below it is a quick interface that will be familiar to smart phone users. The audio presets are there as touch spots, for example, and are easy to program with your favorites.<br />
<br />
Honda understands that sometimes you just want a knob, so there's one for audio volume that stands out against the flat, shiny screen next to it. You can control a lot from the steering wheel, too, a common method in today's cars. Climate controls are at the bottom and are all buttons. This appears to be what people want now--at least the ones buying Hondas. There's a large round dial below the climate for accessing what's on the big screen, with Enter printed on it. Sometimes you need to answer the car's questions, including the legal advisory regarding using the navigation system while driving (basically, "keep your eyes on the road!").<br />
<br />
My test car bristled with electronic helpers, including three that help you avoid accidents and are standard on the upper level models. The Lane Departure Warning system warns you if you appear to be changing lanes without the turn signal on. The Forward Collision Warning system flashes a red light and warning message if you appear to be closing in too quickly on the car in front. It occasionally misread the situation with parked cars on curving roads but would be a real help in stop-and-go traffic. My favorite, the Honda LaneWatch Blind Spot Display, gives you a rear view of the passenger side on the console display every time you activate your right turn signal. It's disconcerting until you figure out that it's there to help you.<br />
<br />
My EX-L V6 with Navigation was the top coupe available. There are two four-cylinder models, LX-S and EX, but the V6 version is EX-L only (you decide on the navigation system). Prices start at $24,415 for the LX-S with manual transmission. My top-level tester runs $33,190 with either transmission. Both prices include shipping.<br />
<br />
The Accord Coupe is so pleasant and fault-free that it's easy to get used to its many features and cruise along happily. I did. While not a real sports car, the muscular V6, manual transmission, evocative interior and more than competent chassis give you some grins along the way.<br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-37926304360862078342013-08-26T22:44:00.000-07:002013-08-26T23:00:04.623-07:00KFOG 10 at 10 Plays 1967<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuxVJiZ-Ubf-7UMZsrwxuUHtNDquSTpq8h5nQfKePCJYpVqHHGnPPqEBR3s0MBFVHWAhWJNyX8BpHcJxT2BY4xuNnfLVbDqd3PLj1iNmjUQM_BqVHGDS4k-tyH1yPdOBWcMLzlfJ1T0I/s1600/Steve+-+1st+Guitar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuxVJiZ-Ubf-7UMZsrwxuUHtNDquSTpq8h5nQfKePCJYpVqHHGnPPqEBR3s0MBFVHWAhWJNyX8BpHcJxT2BY4xuNnfLVbDqd3PLj1iNmjUQM_BqVHGDS4k-tyH1yPdOBWcMLzlfJ1T0I/s320/Steve+-+1st+Guitar.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
My musical friend Geri texted me today at a few minutes past 10 a.m. to tell me that <a href="http://kfog.com/" target="_blank">KFOG 104.5</a> was playing my favorite year on their "10 at 10" program. Well, gee, I had to work, so I decided to tune in tonight instead. They play it at both 10's, luckily for us working types.<br />
<br />
1967 was a pivotal year for me. I turned 14. It was the summer of love. Puberty was in full swing. But most importantly, I started playing the guitar that summer (that's me in the photo!). Suddenly, music wasn't just the soundtrack of my life, but I was an active participant. I listened to the Big 30 survey each week on KFRC, the Big 610, and bought albums (mostly Beatles). I learned the songs off these media by ear, and sang them in my bedroom in my own key. Today, I'm in a band, a Beatles duo, a community orchestra, and I still do a pickup gig now and then when time allows.<br />
<br />
So, here it is, time for KFOG's pick of "10 great songs from one great year." I'll walk through it with you.<br />
<br />
"Let's do the time warp again....."<br />
<br />
Tour guide - Renee! Used to be Dave Morey, for all those years.<br />
<br />
We start with the Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour. I remember this album. It was the successor to the iconic Sgt. Pepper.It had new stuff to go with what turned out to be a lame movie (compared to Hard Day's Night and Help). And--the put a bunch of singles on the other side--kind of cheating. The Beatles, amazingly, would issue albums with NO single from them. Now that's confidence.<br />
<br />
Magical Mystery Tour--a real Paul song. Full of life and good cheer, not much significance. Still sharp and strong all these years later.<br />
<br />
Ends with Paul's bass in the foreground....<br />
<br />
Next... Jimi Hendrix! Castles Made of Sand. I had two Jimi albums and I used to play them through my Koss headphones while lying on my bed backwards (the cord wouldn't reach the stereo otherwise). I think my dad bought me these albums for my birthday (he had no clue of the contents and would surely not have enjoyed listening to them). But, as I found out later, my dad would support me in what I liked. He later would read every one of my weekly automotive stories, and sent me car books. He contributed to my camel collection. Sadly, he hasn't got to see all my musical activities over the last 10 years.<br />
<br />
Sadly, too, Mr. Hendrix lasted a very short time. But, he lives on forever on 10 at 10.<br />
<br />
Oh boy, Things I Should Have Said - The Grass Roots! More pop musicky after Jimi and the sacred Beatles. But a favorite, with nice harmonies, and the kind of bass parts that made me want to play one. Bongos. The bridge goes another way, as sixties songs do.... bongo solo --- or are those congas? "She closed the door, said I don't want to see you anymore..."<br />
<br />
Sly and the Family Stone - Dance to the Music. Not my favorite, because they yell so much at the beginning, but the rest is actually pretty cool. Not very melodic, as usual for them, but very energetic and rhythmic. Bump bump bump bump.... Drums + guitar + bass (bottom for the dancers) - fuzz bass no less -- + organ (ride, Sally, ride -- kind of rude). Then, the horn section. Pretty cool actually. "All the squares go home!"<br />
"Listen to the voices....."<br />
<br />
"Here's Nancy Sinatra with some sound advice..." an ad for Coke! Things go better with Coke! I remember Beegees Coke commercials, too. She was fresh off her "These Boots are Made for Walking." She sang the wonderfully haunting "Summer Wine" in 1967 with Lee Hazlewood. I liked "Some Velvet Morning" even better, but that's 1968.<br />
<br />
Arthur Conley, Sweet Soul Music. A classic. I remember the girl I had a crush on with this one, Ramona, a dark-haired beauty. Arthur had one hit--this one--and sang about all the great soul music singers. "Spotlight on Wilson Pickett..." Otis Redding, (hear that horn section). James Brown, yeah, he's the king of them, y'all. Ending with yeah yeah and the horn section...<br />
<br />
Oh ... Traffic's Dear Mr. Fantasy. Cool after the heat of Sweet Soul Music. Psychedelic...Steve Winwood was a teenager, but what soulful singing. Waaaaaa! (x4). "Please Mr. Fantasy, play us a tune...." There's that psychedelic lead, in the Hendrix mode... Not sure who the guitarist is. I realize later that I didn't know the names of the members of most of the bands I heard. Just the Beatles, really, and the Monkees. Their personalities were so public (especially the pre-fab four). The guitar solo takes us out..... and the bass thumps away as the tempo doubles.<br />
<br />
Hear that 12-string guitar beginning. King Midas in Reverse... Now that's kind of obscure. Not a big seller for the Hollies, but I have it somewhere. Hear that flute in the bridge... Trumpets. Someone's been listening to Sgt. Pepper, methinks. A little like an early BeeGees song. It almost sounds like it's playing in reverse...<br />
<br />
A speech from Dr. Martin Luther King. A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our present policies....Glaring contrast of poverty and wealth..." Anti war, as well as anti-racist.<br />
<br />
Marving Gaye/Tammy Tyrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough... One of the all time greats. So much great Motown music in 1967. I realized later that the collective group of songs was played by the same musicians--and I loved it. James Jamerson and Bob Babbitt--a black man and a white man--were the bassists that drove this incredible music. Marvin Gaye and I have the same birthday, too--April 2--but he, like other great artists, didn't stay here long enough. Murdered by his own father. Sigh.<br />
<br />
The Rascal's Groovin' is a perfect song, and one that deserved its rise to number 1. It's a sweet, happy pop song that encapsulates the positive and happy energy of 1967. There was some of that, besides the Summer of Love events. Hear that harmonica, background singing. The bass bum - bim bim bum, bim bim... Ah ah ahhhh.... The Rascals did a wacky song in 1967called It's Wonderful that I loved, but it was a totally different deal.<br />
<br />
Peter Sellers is James Bond... Ursula Andress is James Bond. David Niven is James Bond. Woody Allen is James Bond.... Casino Royale....<br />
<br />
Cream - Strange Brew. Here's British Blues in all its 60's glory. Mr. Clapton staring a long career, which somehow, through it all, he survives to play another day. Sounds so essential now, but it was something very different from, say, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, or, god help us, the 1910 Fruitgum Company. As pop started to shift to bubblegum later in the decade this music retreated to the world of the lp--and FM radio. I moved along with it. You could listen to KMPX in the 60's, but it KSAN that really took off and played this kind of music in the 70's. YEAH--<br />
<br />
Oh, no, that was tune number 10! Already it's over. It was a great 38 minutes of a great year.<br />
Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-57607054070084085432013-08-25T11:46:00.000-07:002013-08-29T07:42:32.942-07:00Mitsubishi i-MiEV - The Electric Car You Haven't Met Yet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5W4EG8CwnVMNCq04U5lYo_yQ_WcRp3AShrc8ILK6W40i0dB1d0APbO8IgOK_GXrIEt1ZnBtQkIRAxpNWuO5Bs81QOsltgSWtxtvCpLceAZveln-36fa2f1F5Pjqf1MzDlUNahQKJtqY/s1600/Mitsubishi_i_KBB_10_Best_2012_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5W4EG8CwnVMNCq04U5lYo_yQ_WcRp3AShrc8ILK6W40i0dB1d0APbO8IgOK_GXrIEt1ZnBtQkIRAxpNWuO5Bs81QOsltgSWtxtvCpLceAZveln-36fa2f1F5Pjqf1MzDlUNahQKJtqY/s1600/Mitsubishi_i_KBB_10_Best_2012_1.jpg" /></a></div>
You've surely heard a lot more about electric cars lately, with the Tesla, Leaf, Volt and others making the news. You probably haven't heard much about the <a href="http://www.mitsubishicars.com/MMNA/jsp/imiev/12/showroom/overview.do" target="_blank">Mitsubishi i-MiEV</a>, however, so here's a chance to find out about it.I drove one of these revolutionary vehicles for a work week: Monday through Friday. It was an adventure. <br />
<br />
Knowing I had an all-electric car coming, I prepared. With a posted 62 mile average range, the Mitsubishi would just barely cover my 60-mile round-trip commute, so I explored the neighborhood for a place to plug in. I found four <a href="http://www.chargepoint.com/" target="_blank">ChargePoint</a> charging stations, and applied and received an account card. That would allow me to use them. But, when I swiped my card at the station, I found out that they were only usable by the company whose building stood behind them. Oh, well.<br />
<br />
The i-MiEV (i for short) is more pod-like and futuristic than most cars. It's a "one box" design, but there's nothing boxy about it. It is kind of cute, really. Inside, there's room for four people, but kneeroom is tight in back. It does feel spacious, however, with a high roofline. The hatchback configuration is useful.<br />
<br />
The instrumentation is minimal, but it has what you need. Unlike a hybrid, you don't need to know when the gas is flowing or the battery is discharging. All you need is a digital speedometer, an estimated range meter, and a gauge that shows you how you're driving. Like all electrics and hybrids, the car is either using battery power or recharging the battery. You can be driving in town and alternating between using and charging--and keep that estimated range at the same figure for quite a while. I noticed that the i regenerates without an unnatural feel to the brakes that makes it feel like someone is pushing the pedal for you.<br />
<br />
Receiving my White Pearl/Ocean Blue 2012 test car at work, I drove it home in the blissful silence of electric vehicles--and kept an eye on the range meter. With a posted 51-mile range, I figured I could go 30 miles with no problem, and when I pulled in the driveway, it read 22. That was perfect. However, it was obvious I'd have to prepare to charge at work during the day.<br />
<br />
I went online and found another charging location a 20-minute walk away. The press fleet had kindly given me two charge company cards to use. This station was from <a href="http://www.blinknetwork.com/" target="_blank">Blink Network</a>, another supplier, and I found a long row of unoccupied stations. Great! It's easy to use these stations. You just plug in the cord from their machine into the socked on your car (behind what would normally be the gas door) and walk away. I used the regular (240-volt) charger and walked the 20 minutes to work. I called it my "exercise program" - helping the planet and myself at the same time. I would hate to have to do this every day, rain or shine, however.<br />
<br />
When I got to the car 10 hours later, I found that it had filled the battery, but also charged me $1.50 per hour--$15. That wouldn't do for the long term. Apparently, it's connection time, not amount of juice you take, that they use to calculate your bill.<br />
<br />
The next day, I worked from home, but used the car to visit a friend who lives 24 miles away. I figured, starting with a range of 65, I'd have enough. But, when I got there, I saw that I had only 29 miles left on the meter. I tried not to worry about it, but on the way home, I tried driving as carefully as I could, using good electric car technique. This involves accelerating gently, not going over 55 on the freeway, and being sure to get maximum regenerative braking where possible. From that 29 on the meter, when I got home it said 17. A miracle.<br />
<br />
The most convenient place to charge your car is at home, even at normal 110 household current, so I pulled the cord out of the modest bag it came in and plugged in when I was at home. However, 110 is slow, so you need to charge all night. With a partial charge in there already, it was full by morning, but when I started the process with the battery near empty, overnight was not enough to complete fill the battery--something to think about. You can have a 240 charger installed that should cut that time significantly.<br />
<br />
On Thursday of my test week, I tried another charging approach. I had a friend (in an all-electric Nissan Leaf) follow me to the Blink charging station. We saw their quick station was free, and since the i has both kinds of sockets, I was able to plug in to the 440-volt charger. My i had have a battery's worth of juice when I did. We had lunch and returned 45 minutes later and the battery was full! If you can use quick charging, it's a real advantage, but stations are only in certain locations. Actually, the charging infrastructure is still in its infancy, so if you plan to charge on-the-go, you'll need to do your research. The charging company websites can help, and their systems can text you when your car is charged and provide other ways of making it easier. <br />
<br />
The EPA numbers for electric cars use the MPGe rating--an "equivalent." My i had an average of 112 MPGe, figuring on 126 City and 99 Highway. The sticker says I'd save $9,850 dollars in fuel costs over five years compared to an average new vehicle.<br />
<br />
That's good, because the total MSRP of the car, including $3,000 in options and $850 in destination charges, was $35,065. Of course, there are federal and state rebates that can save you a significant amount, and the cost of fuel and maintenance is much lower. Some cheap lease deals are around on electric cars, as well.<br />
<br />
There are numerous advantages to owning an electric car, including low operating costs, minimal maintenance requirements, and a low carbon footprint. The main downsides are initial cost of purchase and limited range. You have to decide what works best for your driving needs.
With a 30-mile each way commute, a 62-mile range is a little small.
Other electrics have EPA numbers of 70 or 80 miles, and the Tesla offers
a much greater range--but at a much higher price.<br />
<br />
I actually enjoyed driving the i. It felt responsive, with the torque inherent to all electric motors. It was stable on the road, although it did move a little side-to-side on a major bridge with the wind blowing. The seats were comfortable, the leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter made those touch points feel upscale, and the silent, smooth travel was kind of like flying. The car is fully loaded with things like a heated driver's seat, a 360-watt, eight-speaker audio system, keyless remote, and attractive alloy wheels.<br />
<br />
Oh, I left out one of the best parts--the carpool lane stickers. I was able to use the carpool lane as a solo driver in commute hours and it cut my trip by about a third. I was flying by those poor gasoline-using folks! That alone may be worth the price of admission to an electric car. <br />
<br />
If I could use an electric car like this for commuting only, and had a fuel-burner for all my other errands, it would be almost ideal. The manufacturers are scrambling to increase range, and prices will come down as volume increases. I can see a day when the 200-mile range, $25,000 electric car will be a reality. For now, if you can live with the 62-mile range, you should at least consider the Mitsubishi i when you're shopping.<br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-25556860078386266612013-08-24T22:14:00.002-07:002013-08-24T22:22:32.097-07:00European Car Delivery -- Big Savings and a Great Vacation<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGM2aMrByfrwa9XrErF7UrPtCVMffP4MqmR35HpqC2HNqZyZqUcd2PvooDD5T-46SkV1e0Ebtfv6tadcDj5SbisL6vurmtEsUeqDLJmi5CCkyIYOOllrAvb-5SKnm2sNQmfZHT3E_2DU/s1600/Volvo_Euro_Delivery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGM2aMrByfrwa9XrErF7UrPtCVMffP4MqmR35HpqC2HNqZyZqUcd2PvooDD5T-46SkV1e0Ebtfv6tadcDj5SbisL6vurmtEsUeqDLJmi5CCkyIYOOllrAvb-5SKnm2sNQmfZHT3E_2DU/s320/Volvo_Euro_Delivery.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob with his Rebel Blue S60. Note Swedish plates.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bob Brunton was a Volvo enthusiast years ago, and owned a treasured 240. Then, after a run of three Acuras, he came back to Volvo. But this time, Bob used <a href="http://www.volvocars.com/us/sales-services/sales/volvo_overseas_delivery/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Volvo's European Delivery program</a> and enjoyed it immensely. We met the other day at <a href="http://www.milsdiner.com/" target="_blank">Mil's Diner</a> in Milpitas to talk about his experience.<br />
<br />
This program has been offered by some European manufacturers for years, and it goes like this. Working with a dealer employee, often a European delivery specialist, you configure the car exactly the way you want it from the factory. Then, you fly over to retrieve it, drive it around Europe for a while, and then ship it home.<br />
<br />
There are some real advantages to this arrangement. Because Bob worked directly with the manufacturer, he wasn't restricted to ordering a particular package. He could choose features a la carte, meaning, for example, that if he didn't want a sunroof ($1,800) he could delete it separately, along with the power passenger seat. He was able to select the sport suspension but with the smaller engine. That's not available here. He had a crack at some custom paint colors, too, and a light-colored interior not offered stateside. And, the car arrived in the U.S. with a fine set of French Michelin tires.<br />
<br />
"The dealer said he'd never supply such nice tires," said Bob with a grin.<br />
<br />
All cars slated for the U.S. are built to North American specifications,
but still may contain features not found in the normal American fleet, such as rear-seat air conditioning vents. <br />
<br />
As a financial representative, Bob likes to save money where he can. He estimates that by bypassing the dealer, he chopped about $8,000 off the price he'd pay in the U.S. He also got the standard 5 percent discount, and ended up with the exact car he wanted.<br />
<br />
European delivery could be a great way to take a cheap vacation. When Volvo sells you a European Delivery vehicle, they give you two round-trip airline tickets to Sweden and put you up for two days in a fine hotel, in this case the Radisson Blue. After you arrive, you get a guided tour of the Volvo Museum and a three-hour visit to the factory to watch Volvos being built before your eyes.<br />
<br />
"They take you from beginning to end," said Bob. "You see designers, then assembly workers, doing their jobs. The "marriage point" was a special favorite. "You could see the body and chassis meet there--a dramatic moment," Bob said. <br />
<br />
At the factory, Bob and his contingent of about a dozen fellow car buyers got to meet with real Volvo workers and executives over lunch.<br />
<br />
"They asked us what we thought, and we told them," he said. "For example, we'd like to get the Diesel model over here, there's a terrific small wagon I'd like to see, too."<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1cTI41ixXIC9RkuzOadu4IIX5ahgP9Sgxo34Mi0unwlm7lhtt03T_Dp2Pl7CPU-frq3sATA9IZOUNUvNLc2QAn9nciDhcoC1dpuor50W0KA1NrU2Rx1m5tijhu26j5RxbjeYvGLWQpo/s1600/Euro_delivery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1cTI41ixXIC9RkuzOadu4IIX5ahgP9Sgxo34Mi0unwlm7lhtt03T_Dp2Pl7CPU-frq3sATA9IZOUNUvNLc2QAn9nciDhcoC1dpuor50W0KA1NrU2Rx1m5tijhu26j5RxbjeYvGLWQpo/s320/Euro_delivery.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Volvo provides a nice packet of materials on travel in Sweden, so you can visit castles, historic spots, great restaurants, and other attractions. There's also a ferry available to take your car with you overnight to Germany. When you land, you can drive right off the boat and test your new acquisition on the famous speed-limit-free Autobahn. Volvo provides car insurance during your stay. When you're done driving around, simply drop the car at one of the selected ports, making sure it's clean and ready to go, and six weeks or so later, it'll arrive in the U.S. You get a call and come down to pick it up.<br />
<br />
If you travel on British Airways, you have the option of making a stop in the U.K. at no extra charge, for expanded vacation possibilities.<br />
<br />
Bob lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, and had the car shipped there. But there are other choices.<br />
<br />
"I know a couple who had the car dropped off on the East Coast and then drove it across the country," he relates. <br />
<br />
There are a few downsides to European Delivery. Bob says he had some trouble convincing his bank to provide financing.<br />
<br />
"They didn't want to finance a car that was sitting in Sweden," he told me. "But I had the VIN number, so it shouldn't have been a problem." He ended up using his Navy credit union. They are used to helping sailors bring home cars from outside the country and it was a routine deal.<br />
<br />
The other issue is, you have to hang onto your old car until the new one arrives, so if you were planning to sell it to come up with a down payment, that could be a problem. Bob has a few extra cars in his small fleet, so it was OK.<br />
<br />
If you're contemplating trying this exciting and money-saving process, you can contact your dealer, or look for options at the companies' websites. European delivery is offered by Volvo and also by Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It's a great way to get the exact car you want at a discount price, connect with its birthplace, and have a subsidized foreign vacation in the process.<br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252240658471134164.post-64593104303512959962013-08-19T20:49:00.000-07:002013-08-19T21:06:57.104-07:00Nissan Versa Note - Entry Level Never Looked so Good<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbXBBdHuON0HJpwv2j-Sb_hOZYg2Q_Ytgl9td8wmNtLj5CTvxyD6CECYkAJDDDUSWHJRCkjuEAIRHad1fzehbMnucgov8AXx6oMjeUXB5bwbMhpXMF_t8czepoUI4bDa1gR32W2_BUjw/s1600/nissan_versa_note_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbXBBdHuON0HJpwv2j-Sb_hOZYg2Q_Ytgl9td8wmNtLj5CTvxyD6CECYkAJDDDUSWHJRCkjuEAIRHad1fzehbMnucgov8AXx6oMjeUXB5bwbMhpXMF_t8czepoUI4bDa1gR32W2_BUjw/s320/nissan_versa_note_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The Versa is Nissan's lowest-priced car. Assembled in Mexico, it leads the pack of entry transportation modules, too, and it's no surprise. The previous Versa hatchback and sedan provided a lot for the money, giving upstart Hyundai and Kia a real contest.<br />
<br />
Well, nothing stays constant in the car business (or anywhere else, it seems these days), so for 2013, Nissan brought in a brand-new Versa sedan. It was nice enough, but not that exciting. The 2014 <a href="http://www.nissanusa.com/cars/versa-note?next=header.vehicles.postcard.vlp.image" target="_blank">Versa Note</a> is something different, though.<br />
<br />
Called simply the Note in other places it's sold, it's a five-door hatchback--a very useful configuration. It has the kind of eye-catching look that you'd find on, say, a Mazda3, with plenty of motion and character. My test car, in a bright, unpretentious metallic blue, seemed happy to be a car.<br />
<br />
My first look at the Versa Note was when I saw the back of one on a transporter truck on the freeway next to me. It looked different--but sort of familiar, too. Then, I went by a dealership and took one out on the road with a friendly salesman. But my blue test car was mine for a week, and I took it all over the place.<br />
<br />
Despite driving cars as exotic as the BMW M6 I had in April, there's nothing like a simple, straightforward little car. Despite its modest 109-horsepower 1.6-liter engine with 107 lb.-ft. of torque, the Note sings just fine out in traffic. The electric power steering delivers safe, secure, and responsive steering. The transmission, a continuously-variable automatic favored by Nissan in many of its cars, takes care of business. The brakes, front disc and rear drum, have antilock, Electronic Brake force Distribution, and Brake Assist--modern technology that gives you confidence out there in the driving jungle.<br />
<br />
The Versa has always been an economical car. The new one, with the CVT transmission, averages 35 mpg, with 31 City and the coveted 40 mpg Highway, per the EPA. I got 32.6 mpg, still better than most cars out there. And the the EPA's fueleconomy.gov website gives the Note a 6 for Smog and a sensational 9 for Greenhouse Gas. It's SmartWay approved.<br />
<br />
The basic car, the "S" model, comes with a five-speed manual transmission and some worthwhile items. It also offers a low base price of under $14,000. Step up to the S Plus and get the CVT automatic, as well as cruise control and an interesting and unusual feature - Active Grill Shutter. This controls airflow for slightly better aerodynamics--which means better fuel economy, too. The SV is the likely bread-and-butter model, with power windows and locks, keyless remote, Bluetooth, a leather steering wheel, and more. It starts to feel fancier at that point.<br />
<br />
My test car was the top-level SL, with the SL Package ($1,700) and SL Tech Package ($800.). That $2,500 give the car everything you'd want short of a true luxury rig. You get nice 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and variable intermittent wipers outside. Inside, enjoy Sirius Satellite Radio, a USB port for your iPod, heated front seats, and even a rear-seat armrest with cupholders.<br />
<br />
The SL Tech Package adds a 5.8-inch color touch-screen display for navigation and also a ton of amusing electronic features normally found in cars higher up the food chain. You can even order Nissan's "Around View Monitor," which works along with the rear view camera to give you a bird's-eye view of your car for excellent parking.<br />
<br />
I tried out the Navigation system and Satellite Radio, but never got around to using the hands-free text message assist. Apparently, it will read your messages to you. I'm sorry I didn't get to it, because if it's like the one on my wife's voicemail at work, it makes a lot of hilarious machine-brain-only mistakes.<br />
<br />
From $14,800 for the S to $19,280 (including shipping), you go from basic to super. $20,000 is now the starting price for a car with modern electronics--and most people expect those features in any car today.<br />
<br />
One nice little item was the Divide-N-Hide rear floor. Working something like an old-fashioned Monopoly board, a hard panel sits at exactly liftover height to make a flat floor when the seats are down, for easy loading. If you need more height, pull and fold it (it explains the process right there in the car) and you've got more space. If you like that space to be private, lift up a corner of the floor and stash a briefcase or laptop out of sight.<br />
<br />
I wasn't expecting greatness for the price and market position, but I came away thinking, "I could live with this one for a long time." I got listenable sound from the audio system, high fuel economy, incredible rear seat leg room (shockingly like a limo), modest price, and effective upright bass hauling ability, and the car was actually enjoyable to drive. You can pick colors such as Metallic Peacock and MorningSky Blue to stand out.<br />
<br />
It's never been so good at the bottom of the market as it is today, especially at the top of the bottom like my Versa Note tester. This is what the family car looks like in some countries, and it's a great way to keep it modest without pain. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Steve Schaeferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15049487625035901942noreply@blogger.com0